Clace Stories
by AshTMI17
Summary: Taking Clace prompts rated K-M. Ratings will be at the top of each one shot. Please, send me any and all suggestions - I'm eager to improve my writing and write some fun one-shots. Thanks :)
1. Chapter 1

Taking Clace prompts rated K-M (the rating will be at the top of each story)... Please, send me any and all suggestions - I'm eager to improve my writing and write some fun one-shots. Thanks :)


	2. Taking Him Down

**Title: Taking Him Down**

 **Prompt from cheshire15: Clary a cop, Jace an IA or undercover officer she stumbles across and gets involved in the operation, they end up falling for each other.**

 **Rating: T**

 **This is the first request. I will be fulfilling them in order. Please, feel free to review and give me prompts. I don't own TMI, just the plot.**

Clary Fray and her partner, Isabelle Lightwood, had been sitting in a hot, stuffy surveillance van for hours. Between the two of them, they'd had way too many cups of black coffee as they stared out the window at the seemingly vacant building.

"We should go back over our notes while we wait, it could be all day," Clary said, opening the large cardboard box that contained most of the NYPD's information on notorious crime boss Michael Wayland, their current target. Isabelle continued looking blankly outside, waiting for any sign of movement. "Come on, Iz, we should be making good use of our stakeout time," the redhead encouraged her partner. The two had been together since they got their first beat assignment right out of the academy and risen up the police ranks together. Now, they were detectives with the Major Crimes Unit, an elite task force that chases only the worst of the worst criminals in New York City.

"I can't focus. Where the hell is Alec?" Izzy was biting her nails. The usually confident, calm detective was worried about her brother and fellow police officer, Alec, who was currently trying to take down the Wayland Family. It was a dangerous mission, but Clary was confident in Alec, who was one of her best friends and a damn good cop. Nonetheless, she understood Izzy's worry – Alec was working with a Wayland Family informant, Jace Herondale. He was a high up in the organization, a trusted aid of Wayland himself. But there was a huge risk trusting a supposedly cooperating mafia member. Alec could be discovered at any time being in there with Jace.

As she was reviewing Jace's profile and the information he'd provided thus far, Clary was startled by the sound of gunshots coming from the building.

"Shit!" Isabelle screamed, removing her gun from its holster and jumping out of the van. Clary was hot on her tail, gun in hand, as the duo made their way into the building where Alec's meeting was supposed to happen. There were six backup officers surrounding the building. Clary went in first, scanning the room for any threat. She spotted Alec in a corner and slowly made her way to him, Izzy following her with gun aimed aimed out into the dark room

Alec was bleeding and there was a tall, muscular blond leaning over him. Jace Herondale.

"Jace, freeze and put your hands in the air – get the hell away from him!" Clary screamed. The blond man complied, never taking his eyes off Alec, who Izzy was attending to. Clary pulled out her handcuffs and approached the man, who slowly stood up. She'd never met the informant in person, and he was definitely better looking then in the pictures.

He was taller than Clary had thought, and as he lifted his face away from the bleeding police officer Clary couldn't help but gasp. He was stunning. His golden eyes shined in the dark, his blond hair fell messily atop his head. His chiseled jawline and muscular body made him not classically handsome but still the most gorgeous man Clary had ever seen. When his gold eyes met her emerald ones, he smirked.

"I was helping him, stopping the bleeding. I swear I didn't shoot him. But I have a gun. It's in a holster on my hip. I'm going to remove it now. Don't shoot me." He took the gun out and put it on the floor slowly before kicking it toward her. Clary was vaguely aware of more backup arriving and an EMT loading Alec onto a stretcher as she approached Jace. She kicked the gun away and handcuffed him, unmoved by his statement. She knew from experience that everyone lied – she had no reason to trust the man who had a gun and seemed to have been alone with Alec.

24 hours later, Clary felt like death warmed over. Izzy was at the hospital doting on a slowly healing Alec so she was on her own for the investigation. She hadn't slept since Alec was shot. She had Simon Lewis, her and Izzy's tech guru, working with her, but that was it. She'd spent ten hours interrogating Jace Herondale before he was finally cleared after Simon retrieved video of the shooting. He really had saved Alec's life. As she made her way back into the interrogation room where Jace was waiting, she breathed deeply. She had discovered more about Wayland in a day with Jace than in months of investigation. But she'd also discovered that Jace was a cocky bastard who couldn't stop flirting long enough to string together an innuendo-free sentence. She had to tolerate him.

"Takis – wow, the NYPD sure knows how to treat a guy right!"

"Shut up and eat your coconut pancakes. We still need to figure out how Wayland knew that you were meeting Alec at that warehouse. He had a sniper posted across the street – that wasn't a coincidence. If you didn't tell him, someone did. Any idea who?" Clary watched the flex of his jaw and the way his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed. She told herself it was the detective in her trying to learn his habits, but it was really just that he was ridiculously attractive. She was tired and vulnerable so she couldn't really help herself (at least that's how she rationalized it).

"Well, Red, you're the hot cop. Shouldn't you know?" Clary glared at him and he seemed to tense up, maybe finally realizing the severity of the situation he was in. Wayland knew he'd been cooperating. His only hope for survival was NYPD protection. "Okay, okay... I thought Wayland was getting suspicious of me. The other day, I noticed his main security guard, Sebastian, following me. I saw him a few other times. When I was sure he wasn't watching, I called Alec. I was going to tell him I needed to be pulled out – that they were on to me."

"Sebastian who?" Clary asked, diligently taking notes.

"Verlac. He's an asshole, but not a sadist like Wayland. I think it was him today. He was an Army Ranger, specialized in long distance sniper work. I thought we were careful, but I guess not. He's the only one of Wayland's people that could have made that shot." The NYPD had found shell casings on a tall rooftop across the street.

"We're going need to find this Verlac character. You up for accompanying me on a stake-out?" The curious look on Jace's face made Clary laugh.

"I looked into you. You were a decent, small town cop before you crossed the line and became a criminal and moved to New York. I'm not asking you _why_ you crossed into criminal territory, that's none of my business. I'm just saying, it's time you come back across the line and help me out here."

"Okay. Here's the thing. Wayland killed my parents. I infiltrated to bring him down. I just got a little lost on the way. But I am a cop at heart. And now I'm back – the best way for me to get revenge is to take this bastard down and I need NYPD to do it. So let's do it," he said, offering Clary his hand, which she shook. He stared at Clary with a contemplative look on his face, surprised by the feeling of affection he felt for her.

The next day, they found themselves back in the stuffy surveillance bus, sitting side by side and looking at monitors and reviewing files. "Okay, so we tracked Verlac to this apartment building. His aunt, Elodie, lives here. She's clean, no record, she's a nurse at Beth Israel Hospital, but she lets Verlac stay with her all the time." Jace listened attentively as Clary described the situation, before adding his opinion on the best tactic to retrieve Verlac without incident.

"Deep down, Verlac is a coward. He'll surrender if he is surrounded. And he'll talk. Maybe then we'll finally have everything we need to take down Wayland."

"We?" Clary had never heard Jace include himself in the ranks of the officers. He smiled at her, reaching up to tuck a red curl behind her ear. She tried to control the blush in her cheeks.

"We… How's Alec?"

"Izzy said he's awake. Their parents and brother came into town and his boyfriend, Magnus, works at the hospital and is one of his treating doctors. He's doing better and may be discharged as early as tomorrow. He wants to see you, to thank you for saving his life."

Jace ran a hand through his blond hair, pulling at the strands. "I didn't save his life. If I hadn't called him to come get me out, he wouldn't have almost died.

Clary took his hand to comfort him, shocked by the spark she felt at the physical contact. Jace's eyes were wide and innocent as he stared at her. And then, Sebastian passed by the van, walking down the street and into his Aunt's building. And the moment was broken.

"When this is all over, go out with me," Jace said suddenly. He tried to keep his voice steady, but it shook a bit.

"What?"

"I know you feel it too. Just give me a shot to prove to you that I'm a decent guy. Please?" Clary took a deep breath. He did seem like a nice guy. He was sacrificing everything to take down Wayland and his group. He was a cop – deep down, he was a cop. And a good man. So she nodded, bringing a lopsided smile to Jace's face.

"Okay. When this whole mess is over, I'll give you _one_ shot. Right now, let's go get him so we can move on and get Wayland."

"Okay."

With that, Clary and Jace exited the van, signaling to backup. Clary told Jace to stay outside the building with the technical staff, since he was a civilian. "I'm going with you, Clary. You could be hurt."

"No. No you're not. You're a civilian right now – and a potential target. _Stay here with Simon_." She punctuated the statement with a brief kiss to his lips. "Please, for me."

Jace smiled and nodded. "Be safe. And get the bastard."

Ten minutes later, Clary came out smiling and walked towards him. Behind her, two uniformed officers were escorting Sebastian Verlac into a squad car.

"He was hiding in a closet. As soon as he heard us knock, he hid. Tried to climb out the fire escape, but we had officers there. So he surrendered. He's willing to give Wayland up." She leaned forward, hugging him. Jace was surprised by the burst of affection he felt for the woman in his arms. They stood there, hugging, for a few minutes as the scene cleared.

"Soooo, when's our date?" Jace asked as the pair made their way to the van. Clary found herself laughing all the way back to the station.

Six months later, Clary sat in the front row of the courtroom, waiting for Michael Wayland to be brought in. He had been captured a few months earlier and shot in the leg while attempting to escape. He was charged with several counts of murder, assault, drug distribution, and money laundering. Jace and Sebastian both testified against him. After a three week long trial, today was the day the verdict was to be read.

Minutes before Wayland was due in, Jace meandered into the courtroom, making his way to Clary. He sat next to her, taking her hand in his. His thumb rubbed against her hand in a calming way. Clary figured he was trying to calm both of them down. When Wayland entered the court, Clary squeezed his hand. Jace had been one of the star witnesses, the jury's verdict would either mean that they believed him or not. He was understandably nervous. Alec, Magnus, Isabelle, and Simon were sitting behind them, and Clary could feel Alec's nervous shaking.

The following minutes were a blur. The "guilty" verdict came and Clary's ears began ringing. She leaned in to Jace's side, tears forming in her eyes. She'd been dating Jace since the day Sebastian was arrested. He wormed his way into her heart right away and she hadn't been able to shake him, until she didn't want to anymore. She'd been there to witness the threatening phone calls he got and how he had to move a couple of times. The fear had been real and palpable for her. And now it was over. Jace hugged her close, smiling into her red hair. He seemed relieved too.

"What do you say we get out of here and go home?" he said huskily. Clary nodded, getting up and practically dragging him out of the room. As they approached his squad car, she smiled. He was working for the NYPD now – a uniformed beat cop with the potential to rise in the ranks quickly. He opened the door for her before getting in himself.

"Let's go home and celebrate," Clary said, with a lighthearted tone she hadn't used in months. She and Jace had just moved in together and now, finally, they could live their lives. Together.

"Yes, lets. I love you," he whispered to her.

"I love you too." Then, she leaned in and kissed him passionately, wrapping her arms around his neck. He growled before pulling away, starting the car, and driving off to their new life.


	3. Down We Go (M)

**Title: Down We Go**

 **Prompt from oesteffel: Can you write about Jace and Clary being stepsiblings? Clary has a dream about going down on Jace, and one day, when Jocelyn asks her to wake him up for school, sees his b*** and acts on it… There was more, but it was really long so I'm not going to post it. Just know that the general plot idea belongs to oesteffel and the characters belong to Cassie Clare.**

 **Rating: M!**

Clary POV

I woke up with a throbbing between my legs and sweat on my brow. The dream I'd been having was the most graphic of my life and it involved my stepbrother, Jace Herondale, aka the hottest guy in the world. I've been fighting my lust for him for as long as I've known him – three years. His dad, Stephen, and my mom, Jocelyn, got married and Stephen and Jace moved to New York from England to live with us. From first glance, Jace was my wildest fantasy. All hard edges, bulging muscles, and golden skin, he was probably every woman's dream. I can't even explain how many times I've woken up with my hand between my legs after dreaming that Jace was fucking me in every position possible. Not only that, but he was smart, funny, and had a heart of gold, no matter how much he tried to hide it. I loved him.

This dream had been different from the others. I'd been on my knees sucking him off until he came in my mouth. My hand was between my legs the entire time, rubbing my clit until I convulsed, never releasing his cock from my mouth. It was the hottest thing I'd ever seen.

Sliding my hand into my shorts, I rubbed my folds softly, hoping to get myself off quickly before my mom woke me up for school. Just as I was really getting into it, rolling my hips in time with my strokes, my mom broke through my bubble.

"Clary! Time to get up! And wake Jace please, I have to get out of here, I'm already running late!" my mom yelled from downstairs. She had a big meeting this morning and Stephen was in China on business for the entire week. Well, there went my hopes of relieving some tension. I crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom, cleaning myself off and washing my face. Then I went next door and opened the door.

There was Jace, in all of his glory. He was wearing only boxers, just like my dream. And be had a very prominent boner. It clearly needed my attention. I was so turned on that I didn't even think about it as I approached his bed, kneeling beside it. I stroked his stomach before trailing my hand along the line of fine blond hair that led to his erection, pulling his boxers down. I can't say I was shocked to see that he was well endowed, and I couldn't help but moan when I held the velvety softness in my hand, moving it up and down slowly. Before I knew what I was doing, my tongue licked a stripe on the underside of his cock, causing him to become even harder. I slid the entire cock into my mouth, twirling my tongue around it.

He writhed below me, sleepily raising his hips and forcing himself further inside me. I relaxed my mouth, encouraging him to go deeper as I licked and sucked him. Then I began to fondle his balls, feeling the tell tale sign of him getting close.

Jace POV

I was having the strangest, most erotic dream. Clary was sucking me off, taking me deep in her throat and giving me the best blowjob of my life. I felt the tension in my balls grow as Clary took them in her hand and my eyes opened wide. I was shocked to see Clary kneeling in front of the bed, licking, fondling, and sucking me. _Holy shit, it was real._

"Clarrryyy," I moaned without realizing it. She froze, staring at me with wide eyes – she didn't know that I had woken up. But she didn't release me cock, so I raised my hips, encouraging her to continue. There was a wild gleam in her eye as she went back to work. I also saw her slide her hand between her legs, probably to pleasure herself as she gave me such pleasure. There was something about her doing this – something about _Clary_ doing this. I mean, I'd had a lot of blowjobs in my life. I'm a golden god, after all. But my stepsister was the hottest girl I knew, plus, she was my stepsister. It was so wrong, but so, so good.

Clary started moaning around my mouth, and I felt myself getting to the edge.

"Fuck, Clary, fuck, fuck. I'm gonnna -" Before I could even finish my sentence, the dam broke and I let go, load after load of my semen sprayed into her mouth. And she swallowed. Every. Last. Drop. I saw her hand speeding up until she tensed and moaned loudly. As she came down from her orgasm, she licked my cock, cleaning up all my cum. I'd never cum that hard in my life, even when I jerked off thinking of her.

When she was done cleaning me, she lifted her hand to her lips, cleaning off her soaked fingers. "Fuck Clary, that was amazing." She smirked and leaned in until our faces were nearly touching. Then she kissed me. The saltiness of my cum mixed with hers plus something so distinctly _Clary_ made my heart race. And damn, the things the girl can do with her tongue. A few minutes later, she pulled away.

"Time to get ready for school now," she said before walking out of my room.

The school day was pure torture. In the classes I had with Clary, we weren't able to talk. At lunch, student council had a meeting to plan homecoming. And before I knew it, it was the end of the school day. I saw Clary running down the hall and quickly wrapped my hand around her wrist, pulling her into a dimly lit, abandoned classroom. She was wearing a tight band tee and short shorts. Her red curls were hanging wildly around her head. And I couldn't get enough.

"What the fuck, Jace? I was going to meet Simon." My pulse raced at the sound of rat boy's name. Simon – her boyfriend. Just as much of an inconvenient shit as Clary had always been until today. Today, she was anything but inconvenient. She was a hot temptress.

"Seriously Clare? You think you can get away with not talking about what happened this morning?" I gave her a glare.

"I had a dream… about, you know, _that._ " Her cheeks stained red. God, sexy Clary could also be shy, embarrassed Clary. And I seemed to enjoy both of them. "So when I saw you this morning, I couldn't help myself. But you know what?" She moved closer to me, until we were chest to chest. My breath came out in hot pants – it felt like my chest was constricting. My pants were definitely tighter. She leaned her face into my neck until her breath was fanning my ear. "I'd _love_ to have breakfast like that every morning, dearest stepbrother." My dick immediately hardened even more. Before I could act, before I could pull her close to me and fuck her senseless, she pulled away, leaving me alone. I watched her leave. She ran quickly to rat boy, who hugged her before holding her hand. They left, hand in hand, and I'd never felt so… _rejected._

I'm fucking Jace Herondale and I allowed my stepsister, of all people, to do this to me. Damn her. I readjusted myself and made my way to football practice, all the while thinking of the petite redhead waiting for me at home. My stepsister. Off limits. Stepsister. I kept reminding myself.

That night, Jocelyn cooked dinner, so the three of us were seated around our dinner table. She was blabbing about something or another but I could only focus on trying to avoid eye contact with Clary. I didn't know what to do about our situation, so avoidance seemed like a good option. The doorbell rang, and I jumped up to answer it. On the other side was Simon Lewis, Clary's boyfriend and best friend. Fuck my life. He followed me into the dining room after a brief greeting.

"Hey, Mrs. Herondale, Jace, Clary." My glare might have actually been able to kill Simon if Clary hadn't stepped on my foot as I sat back down.

"Rat boy." Clary scowled at me before taking Simon's hand and going to my room, where they promptly ignored everyone for the rest of the night. I literally wore a path in my bedroom floor as I paced back and forth, trying to hear if they were having sex. Fucking bastard. How dare he? She was _my_ stepsister - _mine_.

When Clary unexpectedly broke up with Simon a week or so later, I can't say I wasn't happy. But I couldn't show her that. She was my _sister_ , after all. I was supposed to support her. So I bought ice cream and pizza, and rented every Marvel movie in existence and we made a day of it. It was truly one of the best days ever.

Since then, Clary and I had actually become friends. She was cool. And I was totally in love with her. It wasn't some weird obsession because she was my stepsister. Not anymore. I loved her despite her being my stepsister. She was hot, smart, funny, caring, and upbeat. Really and truly, she was perfect. But I didn't try anything with her – I wanted her to feel the same way. If she didn't, then I would suffer in silence.

After the long drive to the Hamptons to meet our parents, Dad and Jocelyn basically left us to our own devices. So we took full advantage of it, swimming as much as we could and drinking our fill of the booze from our parents' liquor cabinet. Served them right for ditching us – we could have stayed in the city to be ignored. On Saturday night, I couldn't sleep, so I found myself getting some warm milk. As I passed Clary's bedroom, I heard heavy sighs and moans. Intrigued, I silently cracked open the door. And there was my stunning stepsister naked with one hand on her tits and another between her legs.

"Jace," she groaned in pleasure. Her eyes were closed as she moved around in the bed. I was enthralled. I jerked off in the hallway to the sounds of her cumming.

On Sunday, we walked the boardwalk. I stood in line for ice cream while Clary got a table. Every time I looked at her, I couldn't help but see her writhing in pleasure. A few minutes alone would help me collect myself. Until I saw some black haired douche bag walking over to her and sitting down. And she was giggling. What the fuck did random stranger want with _my_ Clary? I stomped my way back to our table as soon as I got the ice cream.

"Here you go, babe," I nearly growled as I glared at the douche bag. Clary's eyes widened but she didn't correct me. She let me put my arm around her and didn't even fight me, despite how tense she was. The black haired guy's eyes went wide.

"Sorry, dude, I didn't realize she had a boyfriend. Uh, it was nice to meet you, Clary," he stuttered out before immediately getting up and leaving. Clary immediately pulled away from me and slapped me on the shoulder.

"What the fuck was that, Jace? I'm not your fucking girlfriend!" She was angry, and rightfully so. I honestly had no idea what the fuck that was. I just saw her with another guy and totally shut down.

"I don't know." That was all I said before I got up and walked back to the house, leaving Clary staring after me. She wasn't mine – I knew that. I just didn't want her to belong to anyone else, either. I mean, she couldn't be mine. Stepsisters are off limits. Fuck.

An hour later, I was hiding out in my room, staring out the open French doors at the moonlit moon. There was a quiet knock, which I ignored, before someone entered my room. "Jace?" a quiet, timid voice asked. Clary. I turned around and found her sitting on my bed.

"What are you doing here, Clary?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I shouldn't be angry at her. But it was all her fault – that damn blowjob started all of this. I was fine being apathetic to my irritating stepsister. I was surviving like that. Now, I was all fucked up.

"I want to know what's going on."

"Okay, you want to know what's going on? Here it is. I'm in love with you. You're my fucking stepsister and it is all kinds of wrong, but I can't help it," I told her with more vitriol than I meant.

Clary gasped. Seriously, how was she shocked? "That… that's why you got all possessive and shit today? You… you… you love me? Like for real?" I took a few large steps to stand between her legs.

"Yeah, for real. That fucking blowjob did something to me. At first, I thought I just wanted you because you were hot and a good fuck, but now… now I know I actually love you. And seeing you with anyone else kills me. So fuck you and fuck whatever this is." I went to leave but she leaned up and grasped the collar of my shirt, pulling me towards her until I fell and we landed on the bed together.

"I didn't know how to react. You've always ignored me or been mad at me or whatever. I thought you only wanted to fuck me. I didn't know you actually cared. I… I've loved you forever, Jace." Then her lips were on mine, hot and moist. I immediately felt myself harden as my hips ground into hers. My lips moved to her neck, sucking harshly. We broke apart long enough to rip each other out of our clothes.

Maybe our love was okay after all. Nothing that felt this good could be wrong.

Clary POV

"Fuck me – please," I begged. He smiled and kissed my knee before going where I wanted him most. His tongue skimmed my lower lips, just hard enough for me to feel the sensation. My swollen clit continued to pulse when he finally wrapped his tongue around it, playing with it gently. I thought I was going to pass out. I'd never been so turned on in my life. My stepbrother, the love of my life, loved me back – it was erotic, thrilling, and empowering.

"You're so wet," Jace nearly growled as he slid one finger inside of me, rubbing my walls. I couldn't restrain the moan that escaped my mouth. I guess he figured he was doing something right, since he slid in another finger, and then another, before sucking my clit into his mouth. His fingers quickly found the soft tissue inside of me that had me bucking against his hand. The dual stimulation of my g-spot and my clit had me reaching the stars in moments. I howled Jace's name as my body tensed and I tightened around his fingers, arousal flooding his face. I pulled him up until he was kissing me again. My hands travelled his body until they found his pulsing erection.

"I need to be inside you, Clary," he moaned as I squeezed him.

"Then what are you waiting for?" I gasped as I felt his cock slide across my wet lips a couple of times before circling my clit.

"I… I don't have a condom."

"Seriously, Jace? I'm on the pill. Just get inside me!" With that, he took himself in hand and I guided him inside of me. The stretch and burn was so welcome as I adjusted to his impressive size.

"Fuck, Clarissa. You're so fucking tight and wet. Feel so good around me…" His muscles were tense under my hands. I could tell he was struggling not to move, giving me time to adjust. How sweet.

"Harder Jace. Take me!" I begged him. It felt so good. He moved my legs so that my feet were resting on his shoulders. I gasped at the change of angle. Suddenly, that spot inside of me that always made me squirm and pant was being rubbed with his cock every time he thrust into me. "So good, _so fucking good. Don't stop_ , _please don't stop!_ " I was shouting and I didn't care. I could feel myself getting closer to orgasm, and I guess Jace felt it too.

"Come, Clary." One hand snaked between us and circled my bundle of nerves roughly. I felt him losing control, knew he was getting close. His mouth came down to my nipple and he sucked it roughly into his , out of nowhere, I burst. Everything went dark as I screamed bloody murder, my body shaking. My pussy tightened around Jace and, as I finally came back to reality, I felt him rutting into me, grunting as he spilled himself inside of me.

"Fuccckkkkk," he hissed, nails digging into my back as he gripped me tightly. I felt myself tightening again, the sound of him coming, the pulse of his cock, and the feel of warmth inside of me too much to bear. He held me close as I came for the third time that night. When I finally came down, he pulled out of me gently.

"You're my stepbrother…" I whispered.

"We aren't actually related. Plus, we leave for college in a couple of months. We have different last names. No one has to know. Not that it matters. Seriously." I knew I really loved him right then and there because my heart swelled with his words. He'd really thought this through. It _could_ work. "I love you," he whispered in my ear.

"I love you, too," I said as we drifted off to sleep, holding each other closely. The questions, the worries, and the problems could wait until tomorrow. We were in love.


	4. Chemistry

**Title: Chemistry**

 **Prompt from Luvmortalinstruments: You could do a story about Clary and Jace getting locked into school together one night and that being the first time that they talk but not the first time they've noticed the each other.**

 **Rating: K**

Clary Fray has been in at least one class with me since I moved here at fourteen. I noticed her right away. Her red, curly hair and bright green eyes constantly haunts my dreams. She is beautiful in an unconventional way. She's short with porcelain skin, delicate curves, and freckles. I can't get enough of her. But she has no clue that I exist. I mean, I'm sure she knows who I am, everyone at school knows who I am. I'm Jace Wayland, quarterback, student government president, and all around golden boy. But she doesn't _know me_.

Clary, on the other hand, is an art nerd. She surrounds herself with people like Simon Lewis, self-proclaimed video game geek, and Magnus Bane, high warlock of glitter. Neither of which is my kind of person. But Clary is different. I want her. I bet you're thinking it's because of her looks. And it is, to an extent. But I know her. I know that her brother, Jon, graduated a few years back and is now in medical school. I know that she is an artist of the highest caliber – she always has that damn sketchbook with her. I know that her mom, Jocelyn, is also an artist. I've even been to a couple of her exhibits. I know she has no interest in being popular. I know Luke Garroway, our chemistry teacher, is her stepfather.

I actually know Clary really well. There's just one catch: I've never actually spoken to her.

So when I entered the chemistry classroom after football practice to get my textbook and saw the beautiful redhead sketching at one of the lab tables, I sucked in a breath. It was the chance I'd been waiting for. To approach her as Jace – nothing more, nothing less.

"Sorry, I didn't realize anyone was in here. I just need to grab my book." Great, what a perfect opening line. Idiot. Why was I so nervous around her?

"Oh, uh, I'll just go then – I just come in here to draw sometimes. I don't want to be in your way or anything," she murmured, closing her sketchbook.

"No!" I exclaimed before calming down. "I mean, no it's okay, I'll just grab it and leave you alone." She nodded, opening her book and continuing her drawing. I lingered, slowly making my way to the back of the classroom. Taking a glance out the window, I noticed it was storming pretty badly. It must have just started after practice. Oh well. Before I reached the end of the classroom, the lights went out as a huge lightening strike reached the school.

"Shit," I heard her whisper. "I think the electricity is out."

"Yeah, it's fine. Let's just get out of here. I can, uh, drive you home, if you don't have a ride, I mean." She laughed and I couldn't help but feel a little bit disappointed that she didn't take my offer seriously.

"Sorry," she said, sobering up. "I'm not laughing at your offer. Thanks. It's just, we can't leave. We're locked in unless the lights come back on – most likely until tomorrow unless someone comes and lets us out. So you're offer was a bit ironic.

"What!?" I screamed. She couldn't possibly be serious.

"A few months ago, they installed these new electric doors. If the power goes out, the doors lock down. The manual override is over in the maintenance shed out by the football field."

"Shit." I couldn't help but echo her earlier statement before sliding into a seat next to her. I pulled out my cell phone and attempted to call and text my best friend and cousin, Alec. Apparently my signal was totally decimated because of the storm.

"I don't have a signal either," she commented, making eye contact with me for the first time.

I sighed. It looked like we could be locked in for a while. "Well, we might as well get to know each other – I'm Jace Wayland."

"I know. Everyone at school knows you."

I smirked. "You know, it's customary to introduce yourself when someone else does…"

"Clary Fray." It's not like I didn't already know that, but it was nice to hear her say it. "So, Jace Wayland actually cares about schoolwork? That's so different than what I've heard!" She was teasing, I could tell by her tone. But it still stung. I'm a straight-A student but I still struggle with the meathead jock stereotype. Even if I get accepted to Yale, which is my dream school, all I'll probably hear about is how I should have gone to a school with a better football program.

"Yeah, well you can't always believe everything you hear." It came out much harsher than I intended it to.

She grimaced. "That's true – I'm sorry. I mean, who would think someone like you would ever want anything to do with someone like me?"

I cocked my head, surprised to hear her speak so frankly. "What do you mean?"

"Seriously, Jace, are you lying to me or yourself? You're Jace Wayland, popular golden god. I'm Clary Fray, art freak, broken girl, and general nerd. So I really don't get why you're talking to me right now – I mean, besides the fact that we are locked in a school together." Clary was barely making eye contact. I laughed.

"Yeah, well, besides that. I've wanted to talk to you for a while."

She actually looked me in the eyes then, a skeptical gleam in her stare. We just looked at each other for a while. "Why? I'm nothing special." I leaned closer to her, never losing eye contact. I couldn't resist the urge to tuck a stray curl behind her ears. God, this beautiful girl seemed so… broken. I needed to know her. _Really_ know her.

"That's where you're wrong. You _are special_ , to me." I sighed, slightly shocked that the admission came out of my mouth. I've spent years pining over her, and now it was over. She would shut me down once and for all and it would all be over. I'd just have to forget her. I'm sure I'd be able to move on, eventually. "I've wanted to talk to you for years. Literally, since middle school." The look on her face was a mix between surprise and indignation. She didn't believe me. "No, seriously. That first day, when I was the new kid, I got introduced to the class and immediately tripped and made a fool of myself. You got up right away and helped me up. It probably meant nothing to you, but I never forgot that."

"You… you remember that?" she questioned, cocking her head.

"You were the first person to treat me kindly in a while…" She took my hand, squeezing it. It was like she understood.

"I was actually just scared that you'd see the bruises on my legs if you were down there too long. At the time… at the time, I was still being forced to visit my dad every weekend. He liked to beat me. A lot. And that weekend, he'd pushed me down the stairs. I didn't think about it when I was getting dressed that morning, but I'd worn capris, so my bruises showed when I sat. When you fell right in front of me, I got scared that you'd see them, so I jumped up to cover them. Then I had to cover up, so I helped you up. I'm sorry; I'm not the kind, selfless person you've thought I am all these years." A tear slipped from her eye.

"No, you are. And you're strong and brave, too. I can't believe you endured that…"

"I'm fine, now. My dad is in prison. Not for abuse, but for murder." She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. "I can't believe I told you all that about me."

"My mom died when I was a toddler… breast cancer." I dived into the story that I rarely share. "My dad was an asshole. After Mom died, we moved to California. He wasn't physically abusive, but he treated me like shit and made me feel like nothing – and we were so isolated, I had no idea what he said wasn't true. When I was ten, he died in a fire. I wish I could say I was sad, but mostly I was relieved. I was tossed around from foster home to foster home for a few years. When I was fourteen, my mom's sister, Maryse Lightwood, finally found me. She'd been trying to find me for years, apparently. I moved here to live with her, her husband, and their kids. You know Izzy and Alec, and also Max, who is ten now."

"Wow."

"Yeah, so I get crappy childhoods. It took me a lot of therapy to become the cocky asshole I am today." She laughed, wiping away the last of her tears. And I swear, I've never heard a sound as sweet as her tinkling laughter.

"This got really deep, really fast. Sorry about that. I promise I won't tell anyone," she whispered, finally letting go of my hand.

"It's okay, it feels good to tell you. And don't worry, you're secret's safe with me, too." I took her hand again.

"Listen, Clary..." I was cute off by the lights coming back on. Clary jumped out of her seat, throwing all her stuff in her backpack. She started to leave the room, when I wrapped my hand around her wrist.

"Wait, Clary. Wait." She turned to look at me, once again seeming to be the shy girl she had been a few hours earlier.

"I've really got to go. I was supposed to be home a while ago. And it's a long bus ride."

"Let me drive you." She nodded and I had to work really hard not to do a fist pump at my small success.

After a super awkward car ride, we arrived at the Garroway-Fray residence. Clary let out a breath I didn't know she was holding. "Clary, would you like to go out sometime? With me, I mean?"

She stared at me for a minute. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"I'm not interested in being another of your playthings… maybe we could be friends?" she asked, clearly hopeful.

I cleared my throat, angry with myself for getting emotional. The only girl I've ever actually wanted had just rejected me. It sucked. But she was right. I went through girls like most people go through underwear. And I definitely didn't want Clary to be next on my hit it and quit it list. "Um, okay, friends then."

The smile on her face was enough to make me smile brightly right back at her. "Bye Jace. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye." And she left. I sat there, in the car for a few minutes before driving away.

That night, as I climbed into my bed, I vowed that I would fight for Clary Fray. Because I wanted her, I wanted _us_. Our interaction had just made that want even stronger. I would prove that I was worthy of her.

 **AN: I really like this one shot and I may continue it in the future – I would love to see a resolution to this AU. We shall see… for now, on to the next one!**


	5. Finding Out

**_I've decided that I am no longer doing prompts in order. Sometimes, the muse just latches on to one of the prompts, so I am going to do them in whatever order the inspiration wants. They will all get written though, don't worry. Don't forget to keep reviewing and providing me new ideas!_**

 **Title: Finding Out**

 **Prompt from Sandy: I would kind of like to see something about Jace finding out Clary is pregnant, or him meeting his baby for the first time or anything with Jace, Clary and their kids? Or all of the above :D**

 **Rating: K**

 **This story is also inspired by the video I recently saw of a man finding out that his significant other was pregnant. It was so cute, I wanted to do a Clace version. This is a pretty short one-shot. I don't own anything… Enjoy!**

I paced the house, fear and excitement swirling around inside of me. Today was the day. Jace was coming home from a one-week work trip and I finally had the opportunity to tell him. I'd spent the entire afternoon video chatting with Izzy, who was in New York City for Fashion Week… she helped me plan the entire thing. The timing was perfect since today was also Jace's birthday. I hoped that he liked this gift – it was certainly the best gift I could ever give him.

My eyes wandered to the ornate clock on our wall, the one we had gotten from Jace's uncle and aunt for our wedding. _Six PM._ Jace would be home any second. I smoothed out my skirt nervously, listening for any sign that Jace was here. Within minutes, I heard our private elevator ding, signaling that Jace had finally arrived. I raced to meet him in the foyer, excitedly smoothing down my wild red curls.

"Clary!" my husband called, wrapping me in his arms before I could even turn around to greet him. I circled in his arms, placing my hands around his neck and pulling him even closer. My hands ran through the golden hair at the nape of his neck. "I missed you so much, my love. And you look stunning."

I smiled into his chest, breathing in his familiar scent. "I missed you too. Happy birthday!" I couldn't help but sigh at the feel of him around me, encasing me in his loving embrace. He'd been sorely missed.

"Thanks," he answered, finally letting me go with a brief, chaste kiss.

I took his hand in both of mine. "Come on, I got your favorite dinner."

"Coconut pancakes from Taki's?" he asked hopefully, smile still wide.

"Of course. I figured you wouldn't want to go out after a trans-Atlantic flight." He grinned and sat across from me at the dining room table. I'd lit candles, brought out the fine china, and placed his perfectly wrapped gift on the corner of the table. We ate slowly, filling each other in on the events of the last week. I told him how I had sold two of the paintings from my last gallery opening and he told me about the deal he and his father had been able to secure with a European distributor.

"Also, Dad said Mom's been bugging him to invite us over to their new apartment for dinner. They were thinking Friday, if that's good for you."

"Perfect. I miss your parents."

"Clary, it's been three weeks since you saw them." I laughed at his ridiculous expression.

"I know, but I see my parents everyday at work. So when I don't see yours, I miss them. We should definitely go there this weekend." _To tell them the good news_ , I mentally added. "Time to open your present," I said as I cleared the plates and sat down next to Jace again.

He took the small box in his hand and unwrapped it slowly. Leave it to my husband to be the most patient man in the world with is birthday present while I am trying not to ruin the surprise by breaking out into a sweat.

As soon as he saw the Apple Watch box, his grin widened. He'd been hinting for weeks that he wanted one, it was the perfect gift. As he opened the box, I tried to slow my heart so it didn't beat right out of my chest. Jace's eyes widened as he pulled the lid off the box, revealing its contents.

"Clary…" he whispered, looking up at me with huge eyes. "Is… is this for real?" He pulled the stick out of the box, waving it in front of me. "Are you…?"

I smiled widely and nodded my head. "It's for real. I went to the doctor yesterday and got the blood test." He jumped up, pulling me with him and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"We're having a baby?!" he asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"We're having a baby!"

He picked me up and spun me around, laughing. As we stilled, I noticed that Jace was crying a bit. "What's wrong, Jace?" I asked him, reaching up to wipe his tears from his eyes.

"I'm just so happy, my love. I have an amazing wife and now we are going to have a little Herondale. It's so perfect." He kneeled down so that he was face to face with my stomach. "Hello, baby. I'm your daddy. And I love you so much already. You and your mom are the most important things in my whole life. And I promise you'll have everything you ever want or need." He kissed my still flat belly gently, reverently.

I fell to my knees beside my husband. "We're having a baby…" I whispered, my lips ghosting against his. He leaned forward, kissing me deeply. My mouth opened, allowing his tongue entrance. After a few moments of wrestling tongues and wandering hands, we pulled apart, still sitting on our dining room floor with our foreheads resting against each other.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too, Clary." He hugged me close, making me feel as safe and loved as I always did with him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, Jace."

"Did you actually by me an Apple Watch or were you being a tease?" I laughed loudly. Only my husband.

"Of course I bought you the watch. It's on your pillow. I'm not a complete sadist."

"Good," he murmured before standing up, gathering me in his arms, and carrying me bridal-style to our bedroom.


	6. The Night That Changed the World (M)

**Title: The Night That Changed The World**

 **Prompt from Luvmortalinstruments: Clary is a bartender and Jace is a depressed guy that just found out his fiancé cheated on him - Let's just say Clary makes him feel better.**

 **Rating: M**

Clary had worked every night of the past week. She was exhausted, miserable, and forced to put on a happy face for all of the bar's patrons. She'd been forced to put up with sleazy drunk men, desperate women, and way too many drunks as she bartended at Pandemonium for the last six nights. She was just looking forward to having a night off – only one-hour left until last call and then she was free.

She was shaking a martini for some stuffy socialite when he walked in. He was a stranger, definitely not someone she'd seen before. He walked confidently, but looked utterly dejected. His golden eyes, which were so mesmerizing to her, were rimmed in red and he had dark circles under them. He sat at the end of the bar, ignoring the longing looks from women around him as he ran his hands through his gold hair repeatedly.

"Can I help you?" Clary asked him, cursing herself for having a bit of shakiness in her voice. God, it had been way too long since she'd gotten laid. One look at an attractive man and she was practically melting. To be fair, he was an abnormally attractive man. Who was staring at her with a strange, contemplative expression.

"Uh, sure. Can I get a whiskey, neat please?" Clary prepared the drink and slid it down the bar to the man's waiting hand.

"Rough night?" she asked before she could stop herself. He nodded. "You know, bartenders are awesome listeners."

"Seriously? With all this noise?" he asked, cocking his head to the crowd dancing around behind him.

"Which begs the question, if you wanted to mope, why come to a club instead of a quiet bar where you could be miserable all alone?"

He shrugged. "You're around the corner from my fiancé – uh, ex-fiancé, I guess… around the corner from her apartment. I didn't think, I just headed to the closest place with alcohol."

Clary shot the man a sympathetic glance before leaving to handle some other patrons' orders. Clearly, the man had a rough night. Before she knew it, she was calling last call. The stranger was still sitting there, nursing his whiskey.

"Hey, it's last call. Time to leave."

He smiled sarcastically. "Well, then, I guess its time for me to take my misery elsewhere… Shit. I can't go home."

"Why?"

"My brother is my roommate and he asked me to leave tonight. He's proposing to his boyfriend."

"Aw, that's sweet."

"Sure. Except now I'm homeless, single, and not nearly drunk enough."

Clary thought to herself for a minute, before deciding to take a risk. It wouldn't be the first time she had a one-night stand, and there was something… different… about this guy. "Well, I have lots of whiskey at my place if you're game," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. She figured that even if he was too heartbroken to satisfy her, she could at least be kind to the poor pathetic man. She felt him tense beneath her hand before taking a deep breath and relaxing.

"Okay," he murmured, so quietly that she could barely hear him. When she looked up and met his golden eyes, she saw something different in them. Something determined. Clary reached under the bar to the safe, where she retrieved her purse. Then, she shouted to her boss that she was leaving.

"Let's go," she said. "I'm Clary, by the way," she added as they exited the club.

"Jace," he whispered from beside here, where he was keeping pace with her short-legged steps. Once they were outside the smoky club, Clary snuck a look at her companion. He was tall, maybe six foot two inches, with gold hair and eyes. His tan skin was unblemished and pulled over taut, lean muscles. He seemed to be on autopilot, not really paying attention to anything as he followed her down the block to her apartment building. They entered the building in silence. For the first time, Clary felt a sense of self-doubt creep up on her. She wanted him, that much was for sure. Just the sideways glances she'd had as they were walking were enough to make her throb with desire. But she didn't know if _he wanted her._ As she opened the door to her apartment, she decided to ask.

"Are you sure you're game for this? I'm sure your brother won't mind if you come home," she asked, biting her bottom lip.

He closed the door behind him and spun her small body around, pushing her so her back was against the wall, caged in by his large frame. "I've just had the worst night of my life. My fiancé – ex now – is sleeping with my best friend. The fucker had the nerve to sleep with her in the bed we shared, the bed that was going to be our marital bed in three weeks. So yes, I want this. Do you?" His eyes were burning into hers and she couldn't take the heat.

Instead of answering, Clary leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Without further pause, Jace opened his mouth, letting Clary's tongue inside. The tongues twisted around each other and Clary couldn't help but moan loudly. Jace's hands ran down her body and landed on her ass cheeks, which he squeezed roughly while also pulling her closer.

"Bedroom," Clary pulled away to gasp into Jace's ear. He nodded before encouraging her to wrap her legs around his hips, which she did willingly. She felt him hard in between her legs as she directed him down the hall to her bed. His lips found her pulse and sucked greedily as he walked. When they arrived, Jace placed her gently on the bed and stared at her, eyes wild.

"Well, are you gonna join me or not?" Clary asked as she slipped her dress over her head, leaving her in her black, lacy bra and thong. Jace kneeled beside the bed and began kissing up Clary's legs, forcing a sigh from her lips. He slowly slipped her thong down her legs before resuming his kisses. Then, his focus moved to her dripping pussy. He parted her lips and used his fingers to spread her juices. Without warning, he leaned in and kissed her clit gently, before beginning to lap at it with more vigor. Clary's heart was pounding as she continued to moan loudly and his pace increased. When he slid two fingers inside of her a few minutes later, Clary gasped and jerked, feeling the tension in her lower body build.

"You're so beautiful, Clary," he groaned, grinding against the bed frame for some friction of his own. "I can't wait to see you come for me."

"J-Jace," Clary moaned, lifting her hips to meet his fingers. And then he was grazing her g-spot and she was coming hard. She tensed around his fingers, grabbing the comforter in her fisted hands. As she came down, Jace pulled away from her, licking his lips. Clary breathed deeply, trying to steady her heartbeat.

"Come up here and _fuck me_ ," she whispered, wrapping her arms behind herself and removing her bra. Jace got off of his knees and joined Clary in the bed. She quickly stripped him of his shirt and jeans as he tongued at her nipples and peppered them with kisses.

Soon, he was in just his boxers and grinding against Clary's pussy deliciously. "In the top drawer," she gasped. Jace reached over and pulled out a condom before ripping the wrapper open with his teeth. He pulled his boxers down as Clary took the condom out and sheathed his impressive length with it.

Before Jace could act, Clary pushed him so that he rolled over onto his back. She straddled his hips, took him in hand, and sank down onto his cock. She began riding him, setting a brutal pace. Jace bucked up and watched as his cock disappeared inside of her, groaning at the sight.

Clary's breasts bounced with each thrust and her thigh muscles tightened with exertion. She felt the coil inside of her tightening again as Jace's hands reached up and grabbed her breasts roughly, thumbs swiping over the nipples. She trailed her hand down her body and found her clit, which she began rubbing roughly.

"So… close…" she huffed. Jace sat up, changing the angle until Clary was crying out. He continued to have his hands on her chest as his lips skimmed along her jaw, neck, and clavicle.

"I'm close, too. Come with me Clary. So fucking amazing, come with me."

Clary's rhythm faltered as the shockwaves coursed through her body. "Jace! Oh _fuck_!" she yelled as she came. Her pussy convulsed around him and, with a groan, Jace fell as well. He pulsed inside of her, spilling his seed.

Jace fell back onto the bed and Clary landed on top of him. "Fuck, Clary, that was…" She leaned forward and kissed him.

"Amazing," Clary sighed, finally removing herself from Jace. He got up and threw the condom away before returning to the bed. Clary curled into his side and threw her leg over his. He pulled her even closer.

In the morning, Jace asked if he could call her sometime. Three days later, they went on their first official date. Six months later, Jace was on one knee, proclaiming his love and that he'd never been so grateful for a 'one night stand' in his life. He gave her his mother's ring, something he'd never even considered with Kaelie. Clary knew he'd never felt for Kaelie what he felt for her, and that she would never love another as much as she loved him. So a year later, she said _I do_. And Jace made sure he showed her just how much he adored her every single day, in so many different ways.


	7. Clary And Jace Sitting in a Tree

**Title: Jace and Clary Sitting in a Tree… K-I-S-S-I-N-G**

 **Prompt from Luvmortalinstruments: A kissing booth.**

 **Rating: K – innocent fun**

"I can't believe that I agreed to do this," I complained to my best friend Simon as we were setting up the booth.

"Oh come on, Clary, it will be fine. Kiss a couple guys, make money for the school. You'll be fine." After we hung the last poster, Simon ran off to find Isabelle, his girlfriend and my other best friend.

Izzy was the reason we were doing the stupid booth anyway. She was organizing the school's annual charity fundraiser, a carnival, and had begged me to take the last open position manning a booth. Little did I know that the open position was open because it was _the kissing booth_. Yep, that's right – I was about to spend four hours kissing strangers and friends for money. When I found out, I tried to back out, but Izzy started crying about how she would _"never find anybody else to do it this late"_ and all that crap. Her guilt trips are legitimately magical.

And that's how I found myself sitting on a chair behind the kissing booth, waiting for the carnival to open and wringing my hands together nervously. When the first people lined up outside the booth, I took a deep breath and began my job, trying to block out my resentment of Izzy.

Three long hours later, I decided to take a break. I put the "closed" sign on the booth and made my way to one of the food carts, purchasing a hamburger and some fries. Sitting at one of the tables, I relaxed a bit, trying to forget about the hundred or so people I'd already kissed. I layered my chapped lips with chapstick and dug into my lunch.

"Hey Clare," I heard my brother's voice greet from behind me. Turning around, I saw Jon and his best friend Jace coming to join me. "What's up?"

"Taking a break from my booth and grabbing some lunch. What are you doing here?" I was honestly surprised to see the two boys at the carnival, it wasn't really their scene.

"I got a text from my cousin, Will. He said there's a total hottie working the kissing booth. Jon and I were here for practice anyways, so we decided to get some kissing booth action of our own, see this mysterious beauty in person," Jace explained without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

Jace is the quarterback of the school's football team and has a different girl on his arm every week, the same as my brother, his right hand man and a running back on the team. The two of them are completely shameless dogs. Too bad they didn't know that they were talking about _me._ I'm pretty sure Jon would have gagged. I wasn't about to ruin that shocking surprise, though, so I kept my mouth closed, nodding in understanding. What I wondered was why Will, who I'd known for years, didn't tell Jon and Jace that it was me.

"Well, I gotta go. I'll see you two pretty boys later," I said, getting up and leaving the two of them behind. I couldn't help the smile that broke out on my face. After all, the tickets were non-refundable. Oh well, serves them right for being pigs.

Not that I would mind kissing Jace… he's kind of beautiful. Hey, I'm a sixteen-year-old girl, of course I noticed the hot guy that practically lives at my house and forgets to wear a shirt half the time. My hormones can't be controlled. It doesn't help that under the asshat behavior, Jace is a nice guy. I'm one of the few girls that knows the real him. I know that he's super smart, but struggles with time management. I know his dad is an asshole who is home maybe three times a month. I know that he almost lives with my family, probably because he doesn't have a real one of his own. Sometimes I see him looking at me with this glint in his eye that I can't place, and I think maybe he feels the same way I do about him. Then I remember that it's Jace Wayland, and he doesn't have feelings for any girl. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't mind having a reason to kiss him just this once.

For the next hour, my mind is on kissing Jace. Kiss after kiss with random guys becomes routine as my imagination runs away from me. Until I'm face to face with my brother. That snaps me out of whatever happy daydream I'm in. And I feel my pulse quicken as I see his anger.

"Clarissa Adele Fray, what the _hell_ do you think you're doing? _You're the hottie at the kissing booth!_ " He screamed, clearly about to blow a gasket. The vein in his pale forehead throbbed and he ran his hand through his pale blond, nearly white, hair repeatedly. Jace stood behind him, pale as a ghost and looking sick. That's flattering. So at least I know he definitely _not_ interested. "You didn't tell me. I'm not into incest, Clary! And you're degrading yourself, letting guys pay to kiss you. I can't believe you'd do this. Hey assholes," he exclaimed to the line behind him, "leave, now! Let's go, we're leaving, too!" He grabbed my arm, starting to lead me away. A few people left the line, but most stayed put, watching the show.

"No, Jon. You're such a hypocrite. I mean, when it was any other _hottie_ you were totally into it. But if other people think I'm a _hottie_ and are paying to kiss _me_ , you're against it. And I didn't tell you because I knew how you'd react, fyi. So leave." With that, I returned to my seat, where I found Jace frozen in place, still staring at the chair. Jon stomped away unhappily, probably to report to Mom what I was doing. Too bad I'd already told her and she was fine with it.

"Jace, you're blocking the line," I said, trying to snap him out of whatever weird stupor he was in.

"I…I…I'm in line," he murmured, so quietly that I could barely hear him. And Jace Wayland doesn't stutter, at least not that I've ever seen and I've known him since I was in pre-school.

"What?" To say I was shocked was an understatement.

"I bought a ticket, I'm in line," he said, finally lifting his head to look me in the eyes. Then he moved closer, making me gasp. And before I knew what was happening, he leaned forward and put his hands on my cheeks, cupping my face gently. Then, he moved forward and his lips brushed against mine. I swear, I stopped breathing. I felt lightheaded as his breath comingled with mine. His lips met mine more forcefully and mine tingled at the sensation. My mouth opened slightly and Jace's tongue slipped in, making me let out a quiet moan.

"Hey! We all paid our money, dude! Get moving!" Some guy was shouting from the back of the line. Jace pulled away, groaning. His cheeks were pink, too. _The_ Jace Wayland was blushing.

"I'm going to stick around for a while, try to find your brother… I have to talk to him about something. Text me and I'll drive you home, okay?" he asked. There he was, the sweet Jace that I was privileged to know. With a nod of my head, he left, smiling at me over his shoulder one last time before he left.

To say I was even more distracted during the last hour or so of the booth was an understatement. All I could think about was the feeling of Jace's lips on mine. About how real the kiss felt and the feelings that the kiss sparked. By the time the hour was up, I was literally aching to find Jace.

After wandering for maybe five minutes, Izzy texted me that the group was at a picnic table by the exit. When I made my way over there, I saw Izzy, Jace, Jon, Simon, Will, and his friends Tessa and Jem. Making my way over to them, my palms got sweaty with nerves, especially when I saw Jace's eyes light up at my arrival. I sat next to my brother, who wrapped his arm around me.

"I'm sorry, Clary. You were right. Izzy slapped some sense into me." I smiled, proud of my best friend.

"You're an idiot, but I love you," I told him.

He leaned in to whisper in my ear. "You need to talk to Jace." Then he got up, saying he had to get home. Will and his friends left next, claiming to have plans. Izzy and Simon left to do the final tally on the money raised and talk to the adult fundraising committee members and the principal. That left me and Jace, sitting alone on a random bench. It was awkward as hell, which upset me because it was never, ever awkward with us.

"So, apparently the whole thing was a setup…"

"What?" I asked, shocked.

"Izzy and Will and Simon were all in on it. Apparently, Jon's been spilling about my little crush so Izzy got this whole idea in her mind to…" I interrupted him.

"Wait, wait a second. 'Little crush?'" I laughed as the blush crept up his cheeks for the second time that day. Seeing Jace blush was oddly satisfying. But I knew that I was blushing just as bad. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the conversation.

"Well, I've had this… thing… for you, for a while. And I never should have told Jon or Izzy."

"Or maybe you could have just told me, cause I could have told you that I like you, too."

"Really, now?" I leaned in a bit, so that our lips were only maybe an inch apart, and nodded. "Well, in that case, will you go out with me?" My eyes widened.

"Only if you promise I'm not some flavor of the week…" His eyes momentarily darkened.

"Clary Fray, you could never be a flavor of the week. You're permanent – always have been. I'm sorry you'd ever feel otherwise. So what do you say?"

"Yes," I replied before leaning closer and meeting his lips with mine. He tasted like cotton candy and _Jace_ and it was perfect.

"Clary and Jace, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" I heard Izzy shout as she, Simon, and Jon meandered over. I shot her a questioning look. "Yep, we stuck around to watch magic happen. You're welcome, by the way!" I separated from Jace and ran over to tackle my best friend into a bear hug, thanking her. "Okay, time to go partay!" Izzy announced, dragging us all to her house for a barbeque. Jace took my hand, squeezing it gently.


	8. Royal Secrets

**Title: Royal Secrets**

 **Prompt from Guest: I think for the next one shot clary should be a princess in secret and Jace a prince, Jace and clary has a arrange marriage with each other since the day they were born and not knowing the other one day Jace goes to the school clary attends to and hate each other at first but once they got married they slowly fell for the other.**

 **Rating: T**

 **I own nothing but the plot. I hope you like it!**

Princess Clarissa Adele Garroway had prayed this day would never come. The day she married a complete and total stranger. She knew the day would come; being the only princess of a small city-state meant that the financial wellbeing of her entire homeland came down to her marriage. But that didn't make it any less awful. She was marrying the prince of some other land that she'd never so much as laid as eyes. All she knew was that his name was Jonathan and that he was her age – nineteen. They were far too young to be married according to mainstream society, but the perfect age for royalty to be tied down for life. All Clarissa knew was that she would never forgive her parents for forcing this on her, even if it had been the plan since her birth.

At exactly noon, Clarissa's parents entered her dressing room, followed by her bridesmaids, her best friend Isabelle, cousin Aline, and friends Maia and Camille. The group left the room and Clarissa, flanked by her parents on either side, made her way to the chapel doors. When the doors opened, she took a deep breath. As the music started playing, she looked to the altar, where her groom was standing. And she gasped at the sight before her.

 _Flashback to 2011 – Age 15_

Clary, as the princess preferred to be called, was meandering the halls of Saint Xavier's School with her best friend, Isabelle, trying as usual to be inconspicuous. Here, in these halls, she was simply Clary Fray, a small, shy girl who went largely unnoticed by the general population of the school. Which was necessary. She didn't want anyone to figure out who she was. The only people at Saint Xavier's who knew were Isabelle, since her father was King Luke's chief of staff, and the administration.

She was so engrossed in conversation with Izzy that she didn't see that she was fast approaching a boy who was about her age, sixteen. He was tall, though, and thin, with flaxen hair and tan skin. There was a cliché glow about him – his presence was something special. And yet that didn't stop Clary from walking immediately into him on accident.

"Sorry," she mumbled, barely looking up from the floor where her eyes were trained. Izzy was silent at her side, observing the scene before her.

"I don't blame you for wanting to touch me. I am stunningly attractive, after all," the blonde boy said. He had a slight accent that Clary couldn't place.

"Oh, please, like I would willingly want to be near someone as full of himself as you. It was an accident," she mumbled, finally looking the boy in the eyes. They were golden yellow, with a rim of black. She'd never seen anything like them in her entire life. Clary broke eye contact as soon as she felt them drawing her in; she couldn't afford to like some stupid, obnoxious pretty boy just because he had nice eyes.

"Okay, whatever you say, Shortcake. I'm Jace Wayland, I'm new here. Are you interested in giving me a tour?" Izzy chuckled from her place beside Clary as her friend let out an indignant huff.

"No thanks… I'm sure you can find someone who is willing to tolerate you long enough to help you out. See you around… hopefully never." With that, Clary started walking away, until a hand wrapped around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

"Can I at least get your name? Please?"

"Clary Fray," she said before continuing to leave Jace behind.

 _End of Flashback_

Jace Wayland was standing at the altar, waiting for her. _Jace_ _Wayland_ was her betrothed? How was that possible? He was just some stupid boy that teased her and made her life difficult in school. He certainly wasn't a prince. She would have known – her father would have told her. Right? So what was going on?

Surrounding her, there was a huge crowd of people. Rows and rows of royals, nobles, and rich benefactors lined the chapel as she slowly made her way to the front of the room, her mind running wild. When they arrived at the altar, King Luke and Queen Jocelyn each kissed one of her cheeks before her father lifted her veil and placed her right hand in Jace's… or Jonathan's.

"What is going on?" she whispered to him as they turned to the reverend. "We're about to be married… who are you, really?"

Jace smirked at her. "I'm Jonathan Herondale, Crown Prince of Idris. And in about ten minutes, I will also be the Prince Consort of your lovely little Alicante. The two kingdoms will be merged, as our parents planned it nineteen years ago."

"How is Jace Wayland also Prince Jonathan Herondale? You lied?"

"The same way that Princess Clarissa Garroway is also Clary Fray… you lied too. Time to move forward, princess. Now shut up and listen." They recited their vows almost automatically with no feeling at all.

When Jace leaned in to kiss her after they said their "I do's," Clary nearly passed out. She was shocked, scared and, above all, angry. Jace didn't seem surprised at all by the revelation of her identity. Had he known all along? Had he known during all the years that he bothered her, treated her badly, and generally made her miserable? And why hadn't her parents told her, if his parents told him? As the pair walked down the aisle in front of family, friends, and subjects Clary couldn't help but have a sense of dread. She was _married to Jace_. She was terrified and horrified by this startling reality.

"Did you know?" she questioned as soon as they exited the chapel.

"Yes…" Before Clary could interrupt, he continued. "I found out a few weeks ago. I overheard my parents talking about it. They mentioned Princess Clarissa. So I looked you up – don't give me that look, Google made it too easy – and I saw your picture. I was stunned at first, and slightly horrified, but I got it together. I mean, we both knew it was an arranged marriage. It's not like we were both expecting true love and ended up with each other. This is our duty, right?"

Clary nodded and allowed her husband to lead her to a private room, where they took what felt like a million photographs. "Could you at least _pretend_ to be happy?" Jace said through his tense smile, pinching Clary's side. She jumped slightly and slapped him on the shoulder.

"Screw you, I'm doing the best I can… I can't pretend I don't have extreme distaste for you." She plastered on a fake smile and faced the camera again, pushing herself closer to Jace. She tried to ignore how his lean muscles felt under her hand as she wrapped her arm around him or his lemon scent. Instead, she focused on her anger. It worked – she got through the pictures without becoming a murderer and widow.

When they entered the banquet hall, Clary was amazed to see the room totally transformed. It was her dream – pale shades of blue, orchids, everything she'd ever dreamed of. "Do you like it?" Jace asked quietly, his arm still wrapped tightly around her.

"Did you do this?" she asked.

"I helped, yes. Just because this was never your dream doesn't mean we couldn't make it what you wanted." Clary was able to manage a thank you before the two royal couples arrived at the newlyweds' side.

"Clary, we're so proud of you," Jocelyn said, moving to hug her daughter. Clary automatically recoiled, leaning into Jace. Between her parents and Jace, right now she would much rather be with Jace. At least he was just as miserable with the situation as she was. With a curt nod to her parents and a greeting to the Herondales, she dragged him to their table where their friends were waiting.

Several hours later, the couple walked the halls of the palace, towards Clary's bedroom chamber. "They will expect us to share a bed," she finally murmured as they reached her door. Jace raised his eyebrow at her and smirked.

"Ahh, I knew you couldn't keep your hands off me!"

Clary rolled her eyes and opened the door, ushering Jace inside. He took a moment to look around, taking in everything. Clary watched him curiously for a few minutes before speaking. "Well, if we have to do this, let's get it over with." She started to remove her jewels and let her hair down before Jace grabbed her wrist.

"As romantic as ' _let's get this over with_ ' is, I'm not going to have sex with you tonight, Clary. You don't even like me and I am certainly not one to take a woman's virtue without her _enthusiastic_ agreement. So let's just go to sleep." Clary's eyes widened in surprise.

"You're… you're not going to… make me?" she questioned.

Jace looked at her, genuinely showings emotion for the first time all day. He looked horrified. "You were expecting me to be a monster?"

"No, it's just… my mother prepared me that not all princes are like my father. And when a marriage isn't made from love, people often revert to the worst versions of themselves. So I was expecting… I don't know, something else – something worse. But, thank you, Jace," Clary said, placing her hand on his arm and squeezing gently. She quickly retired to the restroom to change out of her wedding dress and when she returned she found Jace in a pair of sweatpants and laying on the bed.

She tried to ignore how his abs flexed as he turned to look at her. "Come on, Clary, we need to sleep. The honeymoon tour of our newly joined kingdom starts tomorrow. Clary crawled into her bed and rolled over, facing away from her husband. She tossed and turned, terrified of what would come in the morning, before finally falling into a restless slumber.

Their first fight came when they had been married for two weeks. They had just returned from their honeymoon, which had been awkward to say the least, and Jace insisted on moving into Clary's bedchamber at her parents' castle, where they were staying until their home was complete. Clary argued until she was blue in the face… it didn't matter, now that they were married. She didn't want to spend all day and night with him; she could barely stand him. Jace yelled back at her, screaming that they were married and _eventually she'd have to deal with it or he would have to take a mistress_. The fight ended with Clary in tears, mourning the loss of the love-filled marriage she had always wanted. Jace punched a hole in the wall and paced the hallway, trying to calm his anger. He understood that Clary was a virgin and hadn't been in a relationship before. He knew she wanted _true love_. But he also knew that true love wasn't in the cards for them – they had duties and obligations. When he finally knocked on her bedchamber door again hours later, they both apologized hastily to each other. They came to an unspoken agreement – they would be friends, nothing more, until Clary was ready. They brought a second bed into the room as a compromise.

It turned out that Jace wasn't _that_ horrible. He was a gentleman most of the time, despite his constant innuendos. And he seemed to understand Clary's hesitance to open up to him. He helped her when she panicked at being introduced to his kingdom. He held her hand when he saw her stressed. He offered her water when she was thirsty. And he never pushed their physical relationship beyond her limits. While Clary couldn't say she loved Jace, she could say that he was her closest friend.

The months passed and the couple moved into their new home – a palace right on the border of their two kingdoms. It was brand new and Clary enjoyed throwing herself into decorating the large residence. She even made the art for the walls, which Jace kindly supported. Each of them settled into life, learning how to rule their respective kingdoms alongside each other.

 _Flashback to 2013 – Age 17_

Clary was stuck doing yet another project with Jace. Apparently, the universe hated her and constantly chose to remind her that she went to school with one of the biggest pigs on the planet.

"So, when are you going to finally agree to go out with me, Clare?" Jace asked, pulling her out of her own thoughts.

"When pigs fly," she retorted.

"Come on. You know I can show you a good time."

Clary glared at him. "Yeah, along with the ten other girls you 'show a good time' this week? No thanks."

"Sorry, you're actually not hot enough for _that kind of good time_. Oh well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find Kaelie… now that is one hot chick. See ya later, Shortcake." With that, Jace left, leaving Clary to finish the worksheet by herself.

"Wait, Jace – you're not going to help?" she shouted into the hall after him. But it was too late; he was gone.

 _End of Flashback_

There was only one problem for Clary. Her name was Kaelie White. She was an old friend of Jace's who apparently now worked as his secretary. She'd gone to school with Clary and Jace – she was one of those snobby, popular girls who didn't know Clary existed at the time. She also had a nasty habit of shamelessly flirting with the prince, to Clary's dismay. It wasn't that she loved Jace or anything, but he was _her husband_ \- they'd taken vows. She was a princess and she'd be damned if some random tramp disrespected her in her own home. Especially a random tramp that always beat Clary at everything in high school, including in getting Jace's attention.

After months of grinding her teeth and baring Kaelie's presence, Clary decided she had no choice but to discuss the issue with her husband. She chose to do so one evening as they got ready for bed. They shared a bedchamber, as was proper for a royal couple, but had no physical relationship. The compromise was still in place. When she spoke to Jace about her concerns, he dismissed them, stating simply that Kaelie was an old friend and there was nothing to worry about – that she was overreacting.

"Overreacting my ass!" Clary yelled at him. "You are my husband. MINE." She could feel her face turning red with anger as she sat at her vanity, facing away from Jace.

"You love me." That was all he said, but it was enough to make Clary turn around and narrow her eyes at him incredulously.

"You're ridiculous. We are friends. That's it. We both know that this is a political marriage." Jace took both of Clary's hands in his and pulled her until she was standing in front of him.

"But you love me all the same. Just as I love you." He said it with so much confidence that Clary was stunned silent. For a few long moments, the pair just stood staring at each other.

"What?"

"You heard me. I've fallen in love with you, Clary. You're needy and emotional and a pain in my ass – hey, don't give me that face, you know it's true – but I love you. And now I know you love me too."

Clary's eyes narrowed. "Wait, this whole thing with Kaelie…"

"Was a ploy to get you to admit your feelings for me, yes. And it worked." Clary scowled at his golden smirk.

"I don't love you. Just because I've learned to tolerate you doesn't mean I am in love with you. I just decided I didn't want to be miserable my whole life." Jace moved closer until they were standing so close that Clary could feel Jace's breath on her face. His hand rose and cupped her cheek gently. As he moved closer, Clary stopped talking, silenced by his proximity.

And when he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers hesitantly, she shocked even herself by pulling him closer, forcefully latching their lips together. When Jace pulled away, Clary took a deep breath to steady her heart. It turned out that kissing Jace now that they _knew_ each other was something so much more than their first and only kiss on their wedding day. It was… sparks and pure joy.

"Okay, maybe you're not soooo bad," she mumbled, her forehead resting against his. Jace just laughed. "Kaelie is…"

"My childhood best friend. And my secretary. And a lesbian."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, and she actually has _quite_ the crush on you; has since high school. Too bad you're taken."

Clary smiled up at her husband. "Yeah, too bad." Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her, kissing him with everything she had.

(Three months later, Clary found out she was pregnant – she cried as Jace spun her around in joy at the news).

(When the twins, Princes Jonathan and Sebastian, were born, Clary was proud to ask Kaelie to stand next to Izzy as a godmother).

(Five years later, Jace kissed Clary softly after his coronation. The twins and Seraphina, their six month-old daughter, watched from the front row).

(They lived happily ever after as the King and Queen of their new kingdom, Idris-Alicante).


	9. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (M)

**Title: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun**

 **Prompt from guest: Clary Fray is tired of being a virgin. So one night at a club she has a one-night stand and leaves the next morning knowing nothing but his first name. Things are fine until she shows up to school the next day and is introduced to her new teacher, the guy from last night (Jace).**

 **Rating: M**

 ** _A/N: Clary is an 18-year-old senior in high school in this story. Jace is a 23-year-old teacher. It is completely legal. Also, some of you may think that Clary is a bit forward in this story, especially for a virgin. But what I try to convey is that she has a sexual awakening that makes her feel confident in her sexuality for the first time. And it's all thanks to Jace. I own nothing but the plot, as usual. I hope you all enjoy! It's a long one…_**

I hated being the only virgin I knew. My best friend Izzy lost her virginity when she was fifteen with stupid Meliorn. Simon lost his virginity with Izzy a year or so ago ( _thank God_ they actually got together – that sexual tension was _awful_ ). And that left me, the last in our little trio (and maybe on the entire planet) to pop my cherry. I mean, I'd touched myself plenty, but I wanted to finally have my first time with a man. So, I developed a plan to rid myself of the problem. Little did I know what would happen once my plan came to fruition.

I found myself outside of Pandemonium one night in early January. I was on winter break for another two days and my parents were away, so I decided to take the opportunity to finally enact my plan. I was alone and felt totally out of place in the short black, lacy dress that I stole from Izzy's closet. My red curls fell below my shoulders and my smoky eyes were perfectly done. I looked good, but nothing like myself. As I stood in line in the freezing January air, I scoped out the scene around me. The guy in front of me had blue hair – he was _definitely_ out. The guy behind me was sucking face with the blonde chick he was with – he was out, too. Finally, I made my way inside and meandered to the dance floor, trying to stay steady on my feet in my tall, knee high leather boots. Dancing in the crowd of people, I continued to scan the room, looking for the perfect guy. Before long, I was lost in the rhythm of the music, swaying my hips to the beat.

Suddenly, a pair of strong, large hands landed on my hips. Startled, I turned to take a look at the person who touched me. In the dark lights of the club, I couldn't see very clearly but what I saw was definitely good. Golden blond hair framed an angular, tan face. Amber eyes met my emerald ones and I swear my knees gave out on me. He was almost a foot taller than my five foot two and he looked toned and muscular under his black tee shirt and dark jeans. When he smirked at me and leaned in a bit, I wrapped hands around his arms to steady myself. And we started dancing. Song after song played as we swayed together, my back to his front. For the first time in my entire life, I felt sexy and desired. And I felt even more powerful when I felt the guy getting hard against my ass. I began wiggling, pushing against him sensually.

He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Fuck, baby," he nearly growled, pulling me even closer. I turned in his arms and saw that his eyes were nearly black with desire. I slid my hand from his shoulders down his body, grazing his cock through his jeans and he groaned. I could feel myself getting more turned on by the minute, every noise he made went straight to my center.

"Do you want to take this somewhere else, baby?" he whispered, his hands on my ass. I nodded, unable to speak. My plan was going exactly as I wanted it to. I was going to lose my virginity with the hottest guy I'd ever seen. Soon, I'd be a woman. "My apartment is across the street," he mumbled before taking my hand and nearly dragging me to the coatroom.

After we retrieved our coats and got outside, he pushed me against the wall of the building, his arms caging me in. Before I could speak, his lips were on mine. I made a strangled noise as his tongue ran across my lips, until I opened my mouth. His tongue pushed roughly into my mouth as his hands skimmed down my body, grazing my breasts and ass before landing on my hips. I pulled away and his lips latched onto my neck, sucking on the skin.

"Let's go," I gasped I caught my breath. I'd _never_ been kissed like that. Ever. It was so. Hot.

"I'm Jace," he said as he led me to the crosswalk and across the street.

"Clary." I followed him into a beautifully renovated building and into the elevator. The heat within the elevator was unbearable so I did the only thing I could think to do. I pulled Jace's tee shirt and brought his face down to mine, latching our lips together. I felt beautiful and admired and in control – things I never felt in the real world. Before it could go any further, the elevator dinged and we split apart. Jace silently led me down the hallway and unlocked his door. As I walked inside, I noticed that his apartment was white. Like, completely white. And clean. So clean. But then Jace's hands were on me again and I lost any desire to look at anything but him.

"Jump," he hissed, his arms around my waist. I did and wrapped my legs around his hips, pulling myself flush to him. He started walking and we entered a bedroom. Jace placed me gently on the bed before leaning over and kissing me deeply. Our bodies were flush, our centers grinding, and I felt a heat spreading through me. He pulled away from me, causing me to let out a groan. With a wicked grin, Jace's hands wrapped around the hem of my dress, pulling it up slowly. As the dress rose, he kissed up my stomach, from my panty line to my bra. Goosebumps broke out across my skin as he lifted the dress up and over my head and threw it onto the floor.

As I squirmed on the bed in only my black lace bra and panties, Jace stood, retrieved something from his end table (it turned out to be a stack of condoms) and stripped. My mouth watered as he revealed his toned abs, flat stomach, and v line that led to a strip of hair that disappeared below his boxers. I sat up, eager to explore his body. Scooting closer to him, I placed wet, open mouth kisses onto his stomach and just above his boxers before sliding them down his hips. He was big, far larger than I was expecting. He was rock hard and throbbing for me. I was so distracted looking at his cock that I didn't notice him reaching behind me and removing my bra. Then he leaned me back on the bed and landed on the bed next to me.

He took a red curl in his hand. "So beautiful," he murmured before letting it go and leaning forward, taking a stiff, aching nipple into his mouth. As he sucked, his hand skimmed from my hair to my cheek to my neck before landing on my other breast and massaging it. My clit was pulsing with desire as he laved attention on my chest.

"More…" I panted, running my hands through his hair. He moved further, kissing me all the way until he slowly moved my panties aside and breathed in deeply.

"Fuck, you smell so good. I wonder how you taste," he said as he slid my panties down my leg. He nosed my clit gently as he absorbed the scent of my arousal. Then, he flattened his tongue against my clit. I bucked up at the sensation, so he used one arm to hold my hips down. With his other hand, he spread my folds and began lapping at me with hunger. I'd never expected _this_ , but it was so, so good. He hummed against me as his tongue made a circuit around my pussy, alternating from plunging into me and licking my clit. His free hand snaked around my thigh and he pushed his index finger into me. I tensed slightly at the sensation before relaxing with a series of mewls coming from my mouth – I'd fingered myself, but it certainly never felt quite that good. Another finger and then another joined the first; by then, I was once again bucking off the bed, the tension coiling inside me even more.

"J-Jace! I, I'm _fuck_ …" Before I could even finish, my pussy tensed and pulsed around Jace's finger as he sucked my clit between his lips. I came in an explosion of color – the whole world faded away except for Jace and the pleasure I was feeling. As I came down, he landed on the bed next to me, licking his lips.

"So… Good," I gasped, trailing my hand down his body to his soft, silky length. I don't know what I was expecting when I saw a real life penis for the first time, but it certainly wasn't this. I wrapped my small hand around him, jerking it softly.

"Harder," he panted before peppering my neck with kisses. If his groans were any indication, he was enjoying himself as I moved faster and squeezed tighter. I slid my thumb across the tip of him, gathering the small drop of fluid onto my fingers before continuing my ministrations. I had no clue what I was doing, but I let his gasps and noises guide me until he was thrusting up into my hand.

"S-stop. Baby, you've gotta stop. It's too fucking good. I need to be inside of you." The words went straight to my center and I withdrew my hand, leaning over him to get to the condoms. I handed Jace one and he roughly tore the package and slid it on as I watched.

"Can I be on top?" I asked. I'd read that when a girl is on top, losing their virginity doesn't hurt as bad. He smiled and scooted up on the bed before reaching for my hand. I threw one leg over him and straddled his hips. I could feel him hot and heavy behind me as I started to grind my clit against his pelvis. Then I lifted up and he moved me until I was directly above him. There was no going back now.

Slowly, so slowly, I lowered myself into his pulsing erection. Jace made a strangled groaning noise and I yelped as I slowly allowed him to enter me. I was so turned on that it didn't really hurt – it was more discomfort than anything. I sat still for a minute, allowing myself to adjust.

Jace's hands landed on my shoulders, then my clavicle, and finally my breasts. He twisted and pinched my taut peaks as I started slowly moving above him. Soon, the discomfort morphed into pleasure and I began to speed up my movements.

Before long, I was lost in the pleasure of Jace. I leaned back, placing my hands on Jace's knees. "Fuck," I groaned at the change of angle. "Feels so good."

"You're so tight, Clary," Jace whispered as he met me thrust for thrust.

I felt the tell tale signs of getting close. My rhythm faltered as I began chasing my high. Jace's hand snaked down my body to just above where we met and rubbed my bundle of nerves quickly. "Tell me you're close, baby," he said, taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking it.

"So. Close," I replied, bucking wildly against him. The coil deep in my gut got tighter and tighter until white flashed behind my eyelids and I collapsed on top of Jace, my pussy convulsing as I screamed his name.

Jace kept thrusting through my orgasm, sloppy and frantic, until I felt him still and pulse inside of me as he groaned my name. He bucked into me a few more times before finally relaxing. We laid like that, with his cock still inside of me, for a long while as we came down. When I finally felt like I had control of my body again, I rolled off of him, whining a bit at the emptiness inside of me.

Jace got up to throw away the condom and came back with a wet cloth. I looked at him quizzically. "Relax, I'm just going to clean you up," he said, wiping me down with the warm cloth. I was exhausted so, when he went to return the cloth, I crawled under the covers and began to drift to sleep. I barely heard him crawl into bed and whisper goodnight as sleep claimed me.

I woke up to sunshine falling on my face. A warm arm was wrapped around my waist. _Jace._ Memories of the previous night came back to me in waves as I woke up. Jace was still sound asleep and spooning me. I had to get out of there.

I quickly removed myself from his arms and searched the room for my clothes. Finding a sheet of paper, I wrote a quick "thanks" before leaving the apartment. Jace was still asleep as I left.

It wasn't until I got home that I realized how sore I was. Thankful that my parents were away for another couple of days, I slithered into a bath and soaked for a while. After, I dressed in my softest pajamas and took a long nap before readying myself for school the next morning.

When I woke up on Monday, the world was different. I was a woman now. And yet nothing had changed. I still had to get up and finish senior year. I still lived under my parents' roof. And I still had to run to meet Izzy when she honked for me, stuffing a piece of toast in my mouth as I left. So really, not much had changed.

We got to school ten minutes before the bell and met up with Simon. "Did you guys hear?" he asked. When we both shook our heads he continued. "Apparently, Mr. Blackthorn got fired over winter break for being the worst English teacher ever. His final exam scores were the lowest out of all the English teachers. So we have some new guy now. I mean, thank god Blackthorn is gone, but we have to start all over in our last semester now!"

I didn't think anything of this news, and went to art class without another thought. When the bell ending second period ended, I made my way across the hall and met Izzy and Simon outside the English classroom. We made our way inside, eager to meet the new teacher. He was nowhere to be found so we took our usual seats and waited, talking amongst ourselves. Just as the final bell rang, our teacher slipped through the door. I was too busy talking to Izzy, who was sitting behind me, to notice.

"Clarissa Fray." I turned my head to the front of the class, and murmured "here" for attendance. But when I looked up, a chill spread through my bones.

Jace was sitting at the desk at the front of the classroom. In a suit. He was the new teacher. And apparently he was surprised at my presence as well, judging by his confused eyes and open mouth. We just sat there for maybe fifteen seconds before he cleared his throat, stumbling to restart attendance before the rest of the class caught on.

Admittedly, I wasn't paying attention. I mean, would you if you just found out the one night stand you lost your virginity to was your high school teacher? No, I didn't think so. I was just happy I had dressed in my cutest outfit today, tight black jeans, a white tank, and black heels. At least I looked good.

"Clary, class is over." Izzy got me out of my stupor. "It's lunch time." I got out of my seat and packed up my belongings, including a copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ that Jace must have put on my desk during his lecture. As I was packing, a note fell out of the book.

 _Stay after class. We need to talk. - Jace_

Sighing, I told Iz I needed to ask the new teacher about an assignment and that I'd meet her and Simon at lunch in a bit. After they left, I approached Jace.

"You're a high school student?" he questioned, visibly disturbed. I nodded. "Great, the sex goddess that I haven't been able to get out of my head is a fucking teenager. _Please tell me you're 18_." I nodded again, unable to talk. Me, a sex goddess? Who would have thought? "We need to stay away from each other, Clary. Forget that night ever happened." He was running his fingers through his hair nervously, pulling at the ends.

"Well _Mr. Herondale_ ," I started, using the name written on the whiteboard. "I don't know if I can forget the man I gave my virginity to." His eyes widened, clearly surprised.

"What? Holy shit. I took my student's virginity? I'm so losing my job and going to hell."

I moved closer, perching myself on the edge of his desk. "Relax, we just won't tell anybody. Don't worry, it will be fine." With that, I gathered up my bag and left to meet my friends for lunch.

The next few weeks were torture. Not only was Jace my English teacher, but he was also the boy's soccer coach. Which meant that while I was practicing with the girl's team, he was on the other side of the field with the guys, looking all delicious in his workout clothes. I kept having flashbacks to his lips on me, his mouth on me. It didn't help that he'd look at me with these heated gazes that made me feel like he was thinking the same thing. And it didn't help that he was smart and funny and mind – which I now knew because he was my teacher.

Two months after our first fateful encounter, I got home to an empty house, sexually frustrated again. I plopped onto my bed and stripped off my top, running my hands across my upper body. Behind my closed eyelids, flashes of my night with Jace were everywhere. I slid my bra off, cupping my breasts lightly and thumbing my nipples. I imagined that they were in Jace's bigger hands. Then, I trailed a hand down my body, pushing my shorts and panties down eagerly. I rubbed my folds, not at all surprised at how wet I was. I thumbed at my clit and slid two fingers inside of myself, wishing it was Jace's cock entering me instead. Faster and faster I moved until I felt myself tense and yell Jace's name. I couldn't go on like this. I needed him.

On Tuesday, I asked Izzy to dress me up. She questioned if it was a guy and I told her no, I just felt like a change. What was I supposed to tell her – 'yes, I want to fuck our English teacher into oblivion'? I don't think so. When I showed up in a tiny grey dress that showed off my cleavage, I felt all the guys looking at me. Even Simon took a second glance, unsure if it was me. But I didn't want any of them. I'd come to school early to see one man only. The man who thought I was a sex goddess. The man who I couldn't get out of my head. Trying not to draw attention to myself, I slipped into Jace's classroom half an hour before homeroom started. He was sitting at his desk grading papers and only looked up as I approached him.

"Clary…" he started, probably getting ready to warn me not to come closer. I ignored him and sat on the edge of his desk, my legs swinging right next to him.

"Here's the thing, Jace. That night – it was supposed to be a one-time thing. I wanted to lose my virginity and be done with it, no strings attached. But there are strings attached now. And I can't get you out of my head. And I know it's wrong - I'm your student. But hell, it doesn't feel wrong."

He sighed and looked at me, but didn't say a word. It felt like minutes passed before he answered. "We can't do this right now. Meet me here after class. We can talk," he finally uttered. I nodded and left just as inconspicuously. The day dragged and dragged until finally, mercifully, it was 3 o'clock and the school day was over. I told Izzy, Simon, and my mom that I was staying late to work on my art project. That wasn't unusual for me, so I knew they wouldn't be suspicious. I waited around for a while before making my way to Jace's classroom. He was pacing the room, staring at the floor.

"Hey," I said and he looked up and smiled at me.

"Hi."

"You wanted to talk?"

"I never, ever have one night stands," he started, ushering me into a seat next to the one he claimed. "Like, you are the one and only one I've ever had. I was just at that club with my friend, who dragged me along as a way to get to know the city since I just moved here for this job. Then I saw you and, I don't know, I just gravitated towards you. I couldn't get enough. You were so… light and energetic and happy and _you_. And I couldn't stop myself." I just sat, listening to him speak about me with a spark in his eyes. He sounded almost reverent. I couldn't ignore the quickening of my heartbeat. "When I saw you in class, the worst part was that I hadn't stopped thinking of you. And I felt so guilty because you're my student. But I couldn't get enough of you. I found myself watching you, asking other teachers about you, noticing your habits and personality. And then I felt even guiltier. I thought I took advantage of you."

"You didn't –" I started, but he put his hand up to stop me.

"I know, and I can't fight this anymore. I don't just want to sleep with you anymore. I want to _know_ you, to _love_ you. And it scares the shit out of me because I'm still your teacher." He huffed out a breath.

"You're only my teacher for three more months. Then we're just Clary and Jace."

"I know. So, I have a proposal. We keep it neutral – platonic. Get to know each other. And if, after graduation, we still feel this way about each other, we can act on it," he suggested.

I considered it. The plan meant three more months of sexual frustration. But it meant at chance at something real. Was I prepared to wait, if it meant something great at the end? I looked at Jace – his eyes were hopeful, dancing in the light of the room as he waited for my response. "Okay… On one condition – you take me out on a date or two. I don't want to be just friends with you, okay? That needs to be clear." He smiled and nodded. I leaned in to kiss him on the cheek and left.

The next three months _sucked so bad_. Like, I was a maniac… a sexually frustrated, miserable maniac. Every time I saw Jace I nearly attacked him (his stupid smirks didn't help at all). The only bright spot were our dates, when he took me out of the city and we got to act like an actual couple and get to know each other. Then, he'd kiss me goodnight and I'd go home and nearly explode. According to Jace, it wasn't any better for him. Needless to say, Izzy figured it out and told Simon. They agreed that they wouldn't say anything if I was happy (and I was, despite the misery).

On graduation day, Jace officially asked me to be his girlfriend. My dad almost punched him before realizing that what we had was real, it wasn't just sex. He figured out that Jace treated me better than any other guy. Besides, he was six years older than my mom and they married when mom was nineteen, so he couldn't be too much of a hypocrite. When Jace fucked me in his car in the school parking lot after the ceremony, joining our bodies for the first time in five months, I felt like I was coming home. And this time it was so much more than sex. It was love.

Now, three years later, I'm a junior at NYU. Jace still teaches high school English. We're engaged and living together, happier than ever. We laugh, cry, and challenge each other. We also have amazing, mind blowing, exhausting sex. Every. Single. Day. And it all started with a one-night stand and a teenage girl's desire to lose her virginity.


	10. The Thin Line Between Love and Hate

**Title: The Thin Line Between Love and Hate**

 **Prompt: You're my brother's best friend, but you make my life miserable and I hate you. But not really.**

 **Rating: T**

 **This is my longest one-shot (or even chapter) ever. I hope you like it. For those of you that read Fake It Til You Make It, a new chapter should be up this week as well. As usual, I own nothing but the plot. Enjoy!**

"Fuck you, Lightwood," Clary Fray snarled from across the room. Her twin brother, Jonathan, was holding her back from killing Jace Lightwood, his best friend, as she fought to escape his grasp. The cocky blond bastard was going to pay for his little stunt. She had a whole weekend to plot her revenge. It wasn't the first time Jace had tormented Clary, but it would be the last if Clary had anything to say about it.

"Clary, stop. What the hell happened today?" Jon asked, keeping his sister locked in his arms as he glanced between her and his friend. Jace was sitting on the Fray family's sofa; to most bystanders he'd look like the epitome of cool but Jon could see his tense back and stiff movements. Everyone knew that Clary had a temper as fiery as her hair and that, even though she was tiny, she packed a punch. Jace was lucky Jon had walked in before she has seriously hurt him. He'd be lucky to get away with just the couple of scratches on his arms he already had.

Clary huffed, glaring at Jace. "None of your business, Jon. This is between Jace and I. Stay out of it!" At that exact moment, Jocelyn Fray walked through the front door. Jon had never been so happy to see his mother. If anyone could control Clary, it was their mother. He could actually feel Clary deflate in his arms.

"What's going on here?" their mom asked, eyes shifting between the three teens. She raised one eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips, preparing to get into 'mom mode.' Clary knew when she'd been defeated.

"Nothing. I was just going to sleep at Izzy's. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Jace, why don't you drive Clary back to your house?" Jocelyn asked innocently.

"No!" all three teenagers shouted.

"It's just… Jace is staying here tonight, Mom. He already cleared it with Maryse. Plus, their house is only two blocks away," Jon explained.

"Okay, but go before it gets dark, Clary. And boys, it's date night for Luke and I tonight, so I'll put some money on the counter for pizza." With that, she left the room.

"This isn't over, Lightwood," Clary growled, releasing herself from her brother's arms to grab her backpack. She gave Jace a dirty look before leaving and slamming the door behind her.

Jon looked to his best friend. "You are so screwed, my friend," he said, before hurrying off to order pizza.

When Clary arrived at the Lightwood residence, she let herself in as always and stomped her way up to Izzy's bedroom. Opening the door, she screamed in frustration. "I fucking hate your brother. How are you two related?"

Izzy looked up from her magazine and rolled her eyes. It was a never-ending cycle of dislike between her brother and her best friend, so she was used to the ranting. "He's my half brother – I blame his mother's genes. What did he do now?" she asked. Clary knew that Jace was a product of Robert Lightwood's affair with an employee. He was only a few months older than Izzy and had shown up on the Lightwoods' porch when he was six months old – Izzy had only been four months old – with a letter from his biological mother giving up her parental rights. Despite the betrayal of her husband, Maryse Lightwood, amazing woman that she was, adopted her husband's illegitimate son and raised him alongside her three children. When Robert died, Alec was 14, Izzy and Jace were 12, and Max was only 6. But nothing had changed – Jace was just as much a Lightwood (and Maryse's child) as the other kids. Only Izzy brought up his status as a half-sibling, and even then it was only in a joking manner when Clary got pissed off at him.

Clary flopped down next to Izzy on the bed. "So, I'm packing up my stuff after school when who comes up to talk to me but Sebastian fucking Verlac, in all his glory. Needless to say, I'm soaking up the flirting time with his hot ass when Jace comes into the room, coming to get me since Jon wanted to leave and he was my ride since you ditched me for Simon. Then he says 'I'm happy the doctor let you come to school, Clare.' I was confused but he continued. 'Jon told me the clinic said it would be a few days until you weren't contagious anymore.' Then he up and walks away. Sebastian's face twisted with disgust before he mumbled out an excuse and left, along with all my hopes to finally get with him. So I stomp out to my brother's car and Jace is out there laughing like it's the funniest thing in the world. I held in my anger, but when we got to my house, I attacked. I only got in one good scratch though before Jon stopped me."

Izzy just sighed, playing with her inky black hair. "Of course he did that. He's an ass, Clare. You know that. And yet you keep feeding into it."

Clary ran her fingers through her curls. "I just… God, he's such an asshat to me. Worse than he is with other people. It's like his purpose in life is to make me miserable. And I can't just let it go."

"You know what? You remember when we were younger and our moms told us that boys were mean to us on the playground because they liked us? Well, I think Jace is a boy on the playground. He messes with you because he loves you."

Clary laughed. That was ridiculous. There was no way Jace even liked her, let alone loved her. "Yeah, cause Jace is so totally afraid of showing affection to girls. That's confirmed by me walking in on him with Aline, Kaelie, Camille…"

"He doesn't care about any of them," Izzy interrupted. "What I'm saying is that you're different. He actually cares about you. And that scares him, because you're Jon's sister and you've always acted like you hate him."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say Iz. Anyhow, you gonna help me plan my revenge or not?" Izzy just nodded at her friend, used to taking her best friend's side against her brother. The two spent the next three hours planning Clary's revenge. It took a while, but Izzy came up with the perfect plan, although it took some convincing to get Clary to agree. And even then, she only agreed because it would be the perfect revenge. Izzy, though, had a different, more important plan. She was going to show her best friend that she was right about Jace.

That Monday, Izzy arrived at the Fray residence three hours early and a sleepy Clary opened the door. Izzy dragged all her makeup bags, dress bags, and tools up the stairs as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake up any of the other members of the Fray family. Clary was silent as she readied her things for her shower and continued her silence when she exited.

"Sooo, why so quiet Clary?" Izzy asked as she straightened Clary's red curls.

"One – it's five o'clock in the morning and I've had no coffee. So shut the fuck up. Two – I think this is a stupid plan. There's no way that I can convince Jace that I don't hate him or get him to fall for me. Izzy, it's never going to work."

"It will work, Clary. I know my brother," Izzy replied.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… that's why I'm going along with this ridiculous plan. But if this blows up on me, I promise you that I will take you down with me," Clary assured her friend. Inside, she was nervous. How the hell was she supposed to lure Jace in, get him to fall for her? Even with Izzy's help, it was doubtful that this would work. Even if it did work, Clary wasn't sure if she wanted it to work. That would require getting uncomfortably close with the bane of her existence. Ughh, she would never know why she let Izzy talk her into this.

Three hours later, Izzy and Clary left the house. Clary glanced in the mirror on their way out of the house and had to stifle a gasp. She had to hand it to Izzy; the girl could work her magic. The redhead looking back at her in the mirror didn't even look like her. She was wearing high-waisted navy blue shorts, a lacy, low cut white tank, and a pink blazer with navy blue gladiator sandals and a large tote bag. Her hair had been straightened and re-curled so it flowed in soft curls instead of her usual tight spirals. Her makeup was the perfect combination of sultry and innocent. Even her nails were painted a deep red. Everything was perfect.

And yet, as she got out of Izzy's car at school, Clary couldn't help but notice the pit in the bottom of her stomach. And as they walked past Jace, Jon and their friends, her gut tightened with anticipation and nerves. She managed to ignore them, as Izzy told her to, but it was really hard. She never realized how much attention she actually paid to Jace until she was forced not to do so anymore.

When she arrived in third period, the first class of her day with Jace, she again felt the tightening in her gut. For the first time in the ten years she'd known his, she wanted him to notice her. And the change was off putting. Clary noticed the moment that Jace saw her. His eyes widened for a fraction of a minute as he walked past her on his way to his back row seat. She smirked slightly, crossing her legs. After class, she headed to lunch where she filled Izzy and Simon in on her progress. Then she faced another class with Jace. So far, day one of 'Project Revenge' was going well; Clary kept noticing Jace sneaking glances at her during biology, where they were lab partners. She couldn't help but lean forward over their worktable, peeking at him as his eyes darted to her chest and then back to their lab assignment. Maybe this will work, she thought. Plus, it helped that they got a take home assignment that they agreed to work on after school.

After a few more classes, Clary found Jon in the hallway by their lockers. "Hey sis," he said. When he turned to look at her, his eyes widened. "What are you wearing?"

"You're just now noticing? I decided to do something different. What? You don't like it?" she asked innocently.

"It's certainly… different," he said, shaking his head. "You need a ride today?"

Clary nodded. "Yeah, Simon and Izzy are going to study, which always turns into them playing footsie, which leads to tonsil hockey." She shivered at the thought of watching her two best friends suck each other's faces, even though she was so happy that they were finally together.

"Who gets to play tonsil hockey?" Jace asked from behind her, startling Clary. She jumped slightly, surprised to be so effected by his appearance.

"Izzy and Simon," Clary said casually, no hint of animosity in her voice.

"Eww. I do not need to hear about my little sister and that rat face." The trio started walking to Jon's car as Clary slapped Jace's arm.

"Don't insult my best friend like that… they're cute together. Besides, at least Simon can get a girl to stick with him for more than a day. That's more than you could get." After she said it, she realized that's probably not the best way to get him to like her. But she couldn't bring herself to take it back. Clary was surprised to see a flash of hurt in his eyes, but it was gone before she could even fully identify it.

As they arrived at Clary's house, Jon announced that he had a project to do with his new girlfriend, Lily. Clary complained halfheartedly about Jace being at the house without Jon but inside she was jumping for joy. This was her perfect opportunity; she'd be alone with Jace for a considerable period of time. She could work on her seduction tactics. As Clary and Jace sat at the dining room table, with their entire biology project in front of them, they both squirmed uneasily in their seats. It was rather unusual for them to be in the same room without insulting or criticizing each other. The silence was deafening as they unloaded their worksheets and books and started on the assignment.

"You're quiet today. What, no witty banter or physical assaults?" Jace asked without looking up from his work. Now was the perfect time to initiate the plan.

"Nah, I've decided to turn over a new leaf. I realized that I really didn't even know why I always hated you. So, I'm… working on it. My hatred of you, that is." At that, Jace did look up and met Clary's gaze. For the first time, Clary noticed that his amber eyes were rimmed with a darker brown and his hair curled at the edges. They were sitting so close, closer than they ever had before. He smelled like… mangos, surprisingly. Mangos and sunshine.

Jace cleared his throat and stood up. "That's… good. I guess we can call a truce then." He began fidgeting and went to get a soda out of the fridge. Clary was surprised when he put a can on the table in front of her. He had never been considerate of her before. She didn't know whether it was because he was an inconsiderate person or because she never let him.

They finished the assignment in record time before planting themselves in front of the TV and flicking channels for the next hour. Clary was self-conscious for the first time in her entire life. Still wearing her shorts and the low cut tank top, she shifted uncomfortably until Jace sighed. "What's wrong, Clary?" he asked.

"Nothing." Jace looked like he was going to say something, but Jon walked in.

"Wow," he said, looking around the room. "You're both alive and nothing is broken. I may die of shock."

Clary glared at her brother as he sat next to her on the sofa. "Hardy har har, Jon. I'll have you know that Jace and I have reached a truce." She put a hand on his bicep, and he immediately tensed. "Isn't that right, Jace?" He gulped before nodding. Good, Clary thought. I'm affecting him.

"Okay, whatever you say…" When Jon and Jace disappeared, Clary ran to her room to hide out and get her bearings. She texted Izzy. Progress tonight – we called a truce. And I caught him looking at my chest like 50 times today. Full update tomorrow on the way to school. Then she finished her homework and went to bed, without another thought to the blond boy.

The weeks passed and the two actually got along. Clary never realized how much they had in common – they both loved Marvel movies, punk rock, and animals. After a couple of weeks, Clary could genuinely say they were friends. Izzy, Simon, and her even started eating lunch with Jace, Jon and their friends.

"Okay, it's time. Phase one: peace has been completed. Next up is phase two: seduction. You ready?" Izzy asked as they walked to third period a couple of weeks later.

"I still don't understand why you're doing this, Clary. You don't even like him," Simon added.

"That's the point, Si. It's revenge. He'll fall for me and I'll break his heart. It's a long term plan. And don't worry Iz, I got this." With a smile, Clary was off to class with a spring in her step. After the change in the air over the last few weeks, she knew that she could do this. Jace would be putty in her hands. She adjusted her black leather jacket and ran her hands down her tight jeans (silently thanking the universe for jeans that make her ass look that good) before heading to class. She was immediately disappointed. There, at her lab table, was Jace with the blonde bimbo on his lap and her tongue down his throat. Kaelie, she thought bitterly. She fixed her hair (which was wavy today, again) and watched the two for a minute.

Jace and Kaelie had an on and off relationship, which apparently was at least temporarily on. And it didn't help that Kaelie absolutely hated Clary with every bone in her body for some unknown reason. Clary stalked to her table, clearing her throat at the couple sitting mere inches from her. At the sound, Jace opened his eyes and immediately stood up, running his fingers through his messy hair. Kaelie fell to the ground when he stood, to Clary's complete amusement. As the blond bimbo got up and stalked away, Clary put on her most innocent smile. Jace hadn't even bothered to help Kaelie up. Clearly he wasn't that into her.

"Hi Clary, sorry, I, uh, I didn't see you there," Jace said, his voice a bit higher than usual. His eyes skimmed Clary from head to toe, which she ignored as usual.

"No problem. I just didn't know you and Kaelie were back together…"

"We're not back together," he interrupted, sitting again. Clary giggled.

"Sure looked like you were together. You know, with all the face sucking and all." He had the humility to at least blush.

"She kind of assaulted me. But you know, a guy's got needs. Who am I to stop an attractive girl from kissing me?" he said with a smirk and a wink. Usually, this kind of behavior would drive Clary crazy and she'd verbally assault him, like the time he nicknamed himself Baron Hotshaft Von Hugenstein. But instead, she leaned closer to him, placing her hand on his thigh.

"So," she whispered into his ear. "Can any attractive girl satisfy these needs for you?" Clary saw Jace's adam's apple bob and his hands ball into fists. Her breath ghosted over his face. He barely moved; it was only a centimeter or two, but she noticed as his lips traveled towards hers. And, just as the tension between the two was getting unbearable, their biology teacher walked in announcing the beginning of class. She quickly scooted back into her chair and tried to breathe normally. Clary knew it was all part of the plan, but the heat between them had certainly been unexpected. After class, Jace left without another word to her. She didn't know if he was mad or frustrated or what was going on in his mind. And it bothered her. A lot.

She didn't see Jace again until the next day. And when she did, he arrived a minute before the bell rang and ran out of the room as soon as class ended. It continued like that for the rest of the week. After school on Friday, she found Jon waiting by her locker.

"Hey, Clare. Have you noticed anything weird with Jace?" he asked.

"You mean weirder than usual… not really. Why?"

"I invited him over to hang out tonight and he said he couldn't. He's literally never turned down an invite to our house. Apparently, Maryse has too many rules and our house is more 'chill.' Anyhow, I was wondering if you noticed. He's been kind of withdrawn all week; he even turned down a date with that hottie at the coffee shop yesterday." Clary raised her eyebrows (she was terribly bad at trying to raise one). That behavior was odd. She couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with what happened a few days before.

When she arrived at Izzy's house for their weekly sleepover, Jace was home. She saw him and Max playing video games in the den as she walked upstairs, but she didn't say hi. She didn't want to be awkward. So instead, she distracted herself with Izzy's Simon woes ("Why won't he have sex with me, Clary?" she'd asked. There were some things that could never be unheard.), their typical beauty regimen, and movies. At two AM, long after Iz fell asleep, Clary was still tossing and turning, so she decided to go downstairs to get milk.

When she turned on the kitchen light, she jumped. There was a shirtless Jace, sitting at the breakfast bar eating cereal. She really tried not to look, but it was impossible. His sculpted body was a work of art. She shook her head slightly, eager to refocus, and made her way to the refrigerator.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Jace asked quietly. She poured her milk and sat in the empty chair next to him.

"Nope." For a while, they sat in amicable silence. And then Clary had to go and ruin it.

"Sooooo, what's up with you? You've been acting so freaking weird. Even Jon has noticed." Way to be subtle, Clary, she thought.

"It's nothing."

"We're friends now, so you can talk to me. So, come on, talk." Surprisingly, Clary actually cared. She wanted to know what was causing the dark circles under his eyes and the messy (or messier than usual) hair he was currently sporting. Ignoring the twinge in her gut at that revelation, she waited for Jace to decide whether he was going to talk or not. She could actually see his wheels turning as he thought.

"I… I don't know, I'm just. I'm confused, I guess. It's a long story." He sighed, tugging at the ends of his hair.

"I've got time."

Jace spun until he was looking directly in Clary's eyes. "What do you want me to say, Clary? That your sudden change has me off kilter? That things have changed on my end too? What is it you want to know?" He was angry, Clary could tell. But at least she'd confirmed that this odd behavior was about her. Now was not the time or the place to celebrate her victory, but she was momentarily proud of herself. And then reality sunk in – she was making him unhappy; it was her fault. "So can you please leave me alone now?" he asked.

"This… this is my fault? I'm making you that miserable?" She couldn't help that it came out as a whisper. He sighed.

"I don't think you really want to have this conversation Clary."

"Please."

"Okay, you really want to know?" he shouted, pivoting until he was facing her completely. "That you not hating me has me suddenly twisted inside? That I can't stop thinking about you and what almost happened the other day? That I realized that I think I loved you all along?" Clary gasped, looking at her hands fidgeting in her lap.

This was what she wanted. He'd fallen for her. All she had to do was break his heart. She took a deep breath and looked up. The pain in his eyes nearly took her breath away. He looked tormented. But underneath that, she saw something else. Love. And that scared the crap out of her. She never thought this would happen. Lust, definitely. Friendship, yes. Caring, possibly. But never love.

"W-what? That's not possible. You… you've always hated me." She was pleading, begging for him to not topple her world with this information. This whole revenge plan had been a terrible mistake. She couldn't breathe; her heart was palpitating in her chest. It was so hot in the kitchen. She got up and began pacing. Jace just sat there, his eyes following her as she moved.

"It's true. I just didn't realize. You were Jon's twin sister. His annoying sister. And every time I even started to think you weren't bad, you did something to annoy me. Then I realized that I liked teasing you. I liked interacting with you. You were funny, smart, and beautiful. And when you started to actually treat me as a human being… it was so easy to fall for you," he said.

"Izzy was right…" Clary trailed off, biting her nails as she continued to walk around the kitchen.

"What?"

"I… It was a bet, Jace. Iz thought you had a thing for me and after what you pulled last month, I wanted revenge. I was going to win your heart and then break it. I… I didn't think it would bother me. But it does. It fucking hurts my heart and I just can't do it. We're friends now. So I'm sorry. We can go back to how it was, or you can never speak to me again. Either way, I understand." She felt tears begin sliding down her cheeks and wiped them away furiously.

Jace just looked at her, mouth open slightly. Then, he silently got up and left the room. Clary heard him stalk up the stairs and slam his bedroom door as she followed him. As she closed herself into Izzy's room across the hall from him, she finally let herself cry.

That's how Izzy found her the next morning, curled in a ball on the floor, hair wild and streaks down her face.

"What happened?" she asked, sitting next to her best friend on the floor.

"He told me he thought he loved me and I couldn't do it – my heart wouldn't let me break his. I spilled my guts. He stormed off. That's it."

"Why didn't you do it?"

"I don't know. It would have been so easy…" Again tears started falling. She was just so confused.

Pulling Clary into a hug, Izzy furrowed her brows. "Do you… do you love him?" Clary was silent for a minute. Did she love him?

"I don't know, Iz. I've always had him at arms length. I've hated him, tormented him even. Why would I do that if I loved him?"

"Maybe, maybe you were scared, Clary. Like he was."

"I just want to go home." Izzy snuck Clary out of the house and walked her home. After hugging her best friend goodbye, Clary crawled into her bed. She didn't emerge until Monday morning, when she had no choice but to face the day. All that time in bed led her to one conclusion: she was in love with Jace. She couldn't stop thinking about him. All she wanted was for him to look at her with that love and caring expression again. And she'd gone and ruined it. He'd never look at her like that again. Because of some stupid quest for revenge. Jon had tried to talk to her (clearly, someone had told him what happened), but she ignored him. Terrified to face Jace, she tried to convince Jocelyn she was sick, but her mom didn't fall for it.

That's how Clary found herself shaking as she walked to the first class she shared with Jace. He was there. And he looked terrible. To most, he wouldn't even seem different. But Clary knew better. Underneath his messy blond bags, his eyes were tired. There were dark circles beneath them. He looked pale. Granted, she didn't look much better with her hair in a messy ponytail and her worn sweats. As Clary sat, she noticed that he scooted his seat further from her.

It continued for a month. He ignored her. Whenever she tried to talk to him, he walked away. He even changed lab partners. He ensured that Izzy went to her house or Jon went to his house to avoid seeing her. It was a nightmare. Clary dreamed of him. She obsessed over every single moment they'd spent together over the years. Analyzed every interaction for signs of his feelings or hers.

Until one day she couldn't take it. Ignoring the nausea deep in her gut, she pulled out the note she'd painstakingly thought about and written in her previous class and slid it to Jace as she walked by. She watched as he stuffed it in his backpack without reading it. Probably going to throw it away, she thought. After school, she waited in the classroom. Ten minutes passed, then twenty. As she gathered her belongings, giving up all hope, Jace hastily entered the room, clearing his throat to get her attention. She froze.

"Clary," he greeted. She turned to face him. He had a slight frown on his face as he slid into a chair. "You summoned me?"

"You came!"

"Jon made me. He said he couldn't stand all the misery anymore. And I quote 'if my sister makes you happy, stop being a pussy and talk to her.' His words, not mine. If it were up to me, I wouldn't be here. What do you want, Clary?"

"I miss you. And I'm so sorry. And I love you." The word vomit came out before she could stop it. She immediately slammed her hand over her mouth, desperate to make herself shut up. She sat down across from him, willing him to say something, anything.

"You love me?" he asked in a whisper.

"Yeah. And I hope… I hope that someday you can forgive me. And I just wanted to tell you that." She got up, but before she could walk away, his hand wrapped around her wrist. He stood up and joined her.

"I love you, too." He pulled her close, his arms wrapped around her waist. Clary desperately tried to ignore the shiver as he did so, but of course Jace noticed.

"Can't resist my good looks, huh, Fray? I know I'm stunningly attractive, but really!" Jace smiled and leaned down until his lips brushed Clary's.

"Shut up, you asshat," she murmured.

"Ahh, some things never change." Clary tugged at his shirt, bringing his lips back to hers, mostly to shut him up.

Outside the classroom, Izzy jabbed Jon in the side with her elbow. "I told you it would work! And look how cute they are. Now, hand it over."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here," Jon said, handing Izzy a twenty dollar bill. Simon handed her a ten, whining about how he never should have bet against Izzy. But he couldn't stop smiling as they walked away.


	11. The Beginning (M)

**Title: The Beginning**

 **Prompt: Clary has an abusive father and brother. As Clary starts to actually gain breasts and curves, she notices that Jonathan is starting to look at her with lust and he begins to 'accidentally' come into her room when she is changing or he brushes his hand against her things, breasts, or ass whenever he can. Clary is afraid he might rape her. She attempts to commit suicide, but Jace, a stranger, saves her. They form a relationship...and you know...**

 **Rating: M – abuse, rape, suicide, sex – Don't read if you're easily triggered**

 ** _I've never, ever written anything like this. I usually write fluff and feel good smut – this angst and sad stuff (and incest stuff) is a whole new world. That's why I started this one shot challenge to myself – to better my writing and write new things, so here goes nothing. Please let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is welcome. As usual, I own nothing._**

 ** _PSA – sexual abuse doesn't_** ** _have_** ** _to include penetration. In this story, there is forced sexual interaction. And just because a person has a biological reaction (i.e. orgasm) it does NOT mean they wanted it._**

Clary was miserable. It was exhausting being on guard constantly, with a brother and father that savored her cries and cherished her bruises. The looks she got, especially from her brother, made her shake with nerves. When she was younger, her brother ignored her unless he was helping Valentine beat her. Now that she was eighteen and a high school graduate, he was noticing her, but not in a way she'd ever want.

At night, when she was tending to her wounds after a beating, Jon would come into her room. He wouldn't knock, just slam open the door. Usually, Clary was in some form of undress. She would squeal and cover herself, but Jon would just stand there and _watch_ , his eyes darkening. He'd make some excuse, that he needed a pencil or to ask her a question. But Clary knew the truth. She could see it in his eyes.

It got worse. Before long, he was running his hands down her back, softly landing them on her ass. She'd cringe and try to step away, but he pulled her hair, silently warning her to be quiet and take it. Then he began groping her breasts. He walked in when she was showering or changing and he watched her constantly. "So beautiful, little sister. And all mine," he'd whisper as he touched her. When he was done, she showered and scrubbed herself raw to get the feel of him off of her. It never worked.

Valentine got worse too; he drank more and more every day. He came home slurring his words and looking for a fight. She looked too much like her mother who had died several years before. He told her that every time he looked at her auburn curls and emerald eyes, he saw Jocelyn, the woman who betrayed him by killing herself. He enjoyed hitting her with his bare hands, leaving large handprint-shaped bruises over her body. Every part of Clary ached, inside and out. It didn't help that he and Jon were involved in illegal business – drugs, money, girls, and who knows what else were constants.

One Saturday night, Valentine was out of town for work. Clary was momentarily relieved, until she realized she'd be alone with Jon for the entire weekend. That night, she locked her door. Jon picked the lock and barged in in a rage, screaming. "How dare you lock yourself away from me?" He yelled. "You are _mine_ ," he said, stomping over to where Clary laid on her bed. He pulled the comforter off of her body, leaving her in her shorts and tank top. He sat on the bed, hovering over her, and ran his hands up her body – from her knees over her thighs and hips, her stomach, her breasts, and her shoulders. "You belong to _me_ , Clary. Dad already told me I can have you. I was going to wait for a while to have you, but if you can't _behave_ , I'll take you sooner. Then no one but me will ever want you. Let me give you a preview, little sister. A preview of the goodness to come."

He stood up, pulling his pants down. His erection bobbed in front of Clary's face. When she tried to close her eyes, he slapped her. " _No._ Don't worry, baby sis, I won't be touching you tonight. You'll be touching yourself. Now, strip." When she hesitated, his hand wrapped around her neck. "Do it, _now_." Clary whimpered before hastily pulling her clothes off. Jon released her and settled into the bed, staring at her with a horrifying grin.

"Touch your chest, Clary. You're going to make yourself cum for me. And you're going to enjoy it. I'll know if you don't." He started stroking himself, dark eyes growing even darker. Clary didn't know what to do. If she disobeyed, he might beat her or rape her or _kill her_. If she did what he wanted, she'd never feel clean again. She'd be tainted forever. Jon reached over and roughly grabbed her hand, placing it on her chest and squeezing her nipple between her fingers. As she looked him in the eyes, she knew what she had to do.

Clary began squeezing and groping herself, sighing. She'd touched herself before, but this was _nothing_ like that. This was horrible. Trying to block out the groans coming from her brother, she closed her eyes, attempting to just let herself _feel_. And before long, she felt herself getting wet from the rubbing and squeezing and stimulation. Her hand traveled between her thighs, gathering moisture and then it landed on her clit. She tried not to moan, but it was hard, it felt too good as she rubbed. But then she opened her eyes and saw _her_ _brother_ with his cock in hand, pumping furiously. He was groaning and whispering her name as he watched her. Quickly, she closed her eyes and re-entered her own little bubble. Within a few moments, her orgasm ripped through her. She bit her lip in an effort not to scream or moan. She didn't want to give Jon the satisfaction.

As she opened her eyes again, Jon was leaning over her. Before she could react, he exploded. His semen landed on her stomach, making her want to vomit at the thought. He smiled. "It was good, huh? I know. Don't worry, when I have you for real it will be even better. I love you, baby sister." He kissed her forehead, pulled on his pants and left the room. Clary laid there for a moment, naked and covered in his cum, and cried. She was disgusting. She'd never be clean or pure again. She'd never survive this horror.

Dragging herself to her bathroom, she cleaned up. As she looked in the mirror in front of her, she examined her bruises, cuts, and sores. And she thought about what had just happened. She couldn't go on like this. It had to end. She finally understood why her mother had killed herself – Valentine and Jon were going to torment her for the rest of her life.

When she heard Jon leave the house early the next morning, Clary made her move. She quickly dressed and left her apartment. It was still dark outside. She walked for a few blocks, enjoying the brisk northern New Jersey air, and then hopped on a bus. When she arrived at the George Washington Bridge, she sighed. Peace was so close she could taste it. She walked and walked until she was in the center of the bridge. Looking around, she didn't see any police officers, so she went to climb on the rail. There weren't any pedestrians, and the cars were driving by too fast to even see her. One foot climbed the rail, followed by the other. _I'll be with you soon, Mom_ , she thought.

She closed her eyes, breathing in the Hudson River – with its _unique odor_. But before she could move a foot towards the ledge, a strong arm wrapped around her. Clary's eyes snapped open, anger tingeing her vision red. Who would dare to interrupt a person trying to jump? Nothing was going to stop her, especially not some stranger.

He held her close, lifting her off of the rail. Then he released her, spinning her around. Just as she was about to yell at him, all the air deflated from her and she collapsed. The man was _an angel_. He was blond, all hard lines and angles with tan skin and amber eyes. She'd never seen anything like him. He was kneeling now, his face in front of hers.

"I… I couldn't let you do it." His voice had a hint of a British accent, just like her mom; it was soft and comforting. But she was so angry.

"You don't understand!" Clary shook her head angrily. "I can't keep living this… existence. I just want to be with my mom!" His already beautiful eyes softened even more, making them more gold. She saw the sincerity in them.

"Please, just let me buy you a cup of coffee. We could talk. And if you still want to go through with it, I won't be able to stop you." She nodded, unable to speak. He helped her up and led her to a nearby coffee shop. As they sat, he appraised her. It wasn't a hungry gaze like Jon's. Instead, it was soft and concerned. She watched as his gaze lingered on several of her bruises. But he didn't say anything.

"Why did you stop me?" she asked.

He cleared his throat. "My mom. She killed herself when I was three. Overdosed on pills. I couldn't sit by and let someone else do it when I could stop it. I'm Jace, by the way. Jace Herondale." _He'd understand_ , she thought.

"I'm Clary. My mom killed herself, too, a couple of years ago. I'm sorry for your loss."

"You know, I don't understand why people say sorry for things that aren't their fault. You didn't kill my mom."

"It's a way to… empathize, I guess." He nodded, sipping from his coffee. She could tell he was waiting for her to talk.

"I can't go home, Jace. I can't." His golden eyes stared into her green ones and she desperately tried to stop the blush that rose in her cheeks. He must have seen the fear flare in her eyes, because he reached across the table to hold her hand. Before he could reach it though, she flinched away, moving it to her lap. Jace sighed.

"Then you won't. You can stay with me." He said it so calmly. He wasn't going to make her, but he was offering. She shouldn't accept. She didn't even know this strange boy with the golden hair and eyes. But there was something in his eyes. An understanding. A support that she hadn't felt in so long. Clary didn't have any friends – it wasn't easy to get close to people when you had to hide your home life and didn't want to subject innocents to your lunatic family. Jace felt like a friend already.

"You aren't a serial killer, are you?" she teased, trying to diffuse the tense moment. Jace chuckled.

"Nah, I'm too attractive for that. So, what do you say? Come home with me – I live alone and I have a spare room."

Clary bit her nails. What could be worse than returning to her family? _Nothing_. But if she stayed with Jace, she wouldn't be able to return to the bridge and carry out her plan. She decided to take a leap of faith and go with the stranger. When she nodded, Jace smiled. Clary noticed that he had a chipped incisor. In a way, the fact that he had at least one flaw was comforting. The pair entered a cab and made their way to Jace's home.

When they arrived in front of the building, Clary gasped. It was one of the best addresses in Manhattan. "What exactly is it that you do?"

"I inherited this place from my mom. And a lot of money from her and my grandma. When my grandma died last year, everything was mine." Jace waved to the doorman as they entered and went to the elevator. When they got to the 30th floor, the elevator opened into a beautiful apartment. Jace gave her a quick tour of the three-bedroom apartment and let her put her purse in the bedroom she was claiming before the duo landed on the living room sofa.

"So, you're eighteen right? I don't want to be accused of kidnapping you."

"I'm eighteen. And I don't think my dad will come looking for me anyway. He tells me often that the only reason he keeps me around is because my brother wants me." _Shit_ , she thought. _That was not supposed to come out. Who knows what he thinks now. I already messed it up._ Jace's eyes widened, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he got up, reaching for the wallet he had sitting on the counter.

"Here is my Am Ex. You're going to need clothes and to replace some of your personal belongings. So tomorrow, while I'm at work, you can go. I'll have Izzy, my best friend's sister, come to go with you. She lives across the hall. She's nice, I think you'll like her." He handed her a black credit card.

"I couldn't take your money."

Jace rolled his eyes and smirked. "Clary, I have more money than I could use in my entire life. I run my mom's family company. Seriously, take the card. I want to help."

"Okay."

She slept better that night than she had since her mother died. But that didn't mean that the nightmares didn't come. She awoke in a sweat with a scream. Jace came storming into the room, a wild look in his eyes. When he saw her sitting up with the comforter pulled up past her neck, he walked to her slowly. She was shaking, tears in her eyes. "Can I sit?" he asked.

"O-okay," she stuttered.

He sat and slowly wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She turned her head into his chest and sobbed. She hadn't cried in so long, it felt really good to just get it out. As the tears subsided, she drifted off.

The next day, Jace was gone when she woke up, but she found a note next to her bed, letting her know when Isabelle would come and what time he'd be home. Isabelle (or Izzy, as she insisted on being called) arrived right on time. The two girls went shopping and by the time that they got back to Jace's home they had what felt like a hundred bags from clothing stores, Target, and a few other places. Clary had more new belongings than she had at her father's home. They unpacked and chatted the day away. Izzy was going to be a great friend, just like Jace, Clary decided. For dinner, Jace arrived with Chinese food and a black haired man that looked remarkably like Izzy. It was her brother, Alec. He lived with his boyfriend Magnus and Izzy and they were all really good friends with Jace. The four of them ate together. Clary found herself smiling as she went to bed that night.

The weeks and months passed in much the same way. Clary started a job at Jace's company; she was the assistant to a vice president. She was looking into starting night classes, too. She felt safe and cared for. For the first time since his mom died, she had people that were there for her. And Jace even had her seeing a psychologist, which she had resisted furiously, until he finally convinced her. She was in counseling now, to help her work through her issues. She finally felt like life was worth living.

And then there was Jace. She didn't know what to make of him. He gave her everything she could ever need, but he didn't seem to think of her in any way other than as a little sister. Four months into her living with him, Clary told him _everything_ – her entire story. He wanted to go to the police, but Clary just wanted it to be over. Police and the legal system meant that she'd have to see Valentine and Jon again and she had _no_ interest in that. But since then, it was like there was a wall in between them. He was hesitant around her. She didn't like it. Especially not since her old nightmares had morphed into dreams about Jace. Jace's hands and lips on her. Jace's laugh. Always Jace.

"What's going on with you?" she asked one night as they scanned Netflix.

"Huh? What do you mean?" She paused the movie that had just started.

"Ever since I told you my… history. You've been weird. I want to know what's going on. If you don't want me here, if I'm not good enough…"

Jace silenced her. "Of course you're good enough. Why would you even think that?"

"I… I'm tainted. I'm dirty and used and there's no reason you would ever care about me."

Jace scooted closer until they were knee to knee. "You don't think I _care about you_?" He sounded shocked, his voice rising at the end of the sentence. She nodded slightly. "Of course I care about you, Clary. These last six months have been the best of my life. I just… I don't want to scare you."

"Why would you scare me, Jace? You're my best friend. You _saved me_."

"Because some of my feelings… they aren't friendly. I _like you_ , Clary. Like 'like you, like you.' Maybe even love you. It's too soon and I don't think you're ready for that, so I'm trying to keep a respectable distance. I don't want to freak you out with all my feelings. They aren't important." His hand stroked her cheek.

Clary placed her hand on his arm. She felt like she was floating, her spirit flying high. Had he really just said that? "Your feelings are the most important thing to me. Cause I 'like you, like you' too, Jace." He looked at her and his expression nearly took her breath away. He looked hopeful; the smile on his face was huge. But he didn't move closer. He was waiting for her, she could tell.

There was no one in the entire world that she cared about more than Jace. He saved her life and her soul. So when she leaned over and straddled his lap, the gasp that ripped from his throat brought a grin to her face. She brought her lips down to his softly, savoring his lips on hers. Her tongue ran against his lips and he eagerly opened them, accepting her tongue into his mouth. Their teeth clattered together as their kiss deepened. Jace's hands hovered over her waist, hesitating. Clary could feel the heat coming off of him like flames. She pulled her mouth away, kissing his neck.

"Touch me, Jace," she whispered, her hands tangling in his hair.

He groaned. "Are you… are you sure?" When she licked his pulse point, he got the hint and his hands landed on her hips, pulling her down close to him. She felt him hard and steady beneath her and shivered. Clary's body was on fire; every nerve ending was on edge. She slid her hands underneath his t-shirt and felt the hard plains of his sculpted body below her. Her nipples tightened in anticipation. She had never _wanted_ before, not like this. She thought she would combust if she didn't have him.

"Jace, I want to go to bed," she said as she ground her hips into his lap, releasing a loud moan. He stood, carrying her easily to his room, where he placed her gently on the center of his bed. He pulled his shirt off, and then his jeans. In only his boxers, he looked like a Greek god. Clary could feel her wetness seeping through her panties. She lifted her shirt off of her body, watching as his eyes darkened.

And then she froze. For a second, all she saw was Jon. Standing naked in front of her, sadistic smile on his face.

"Clary, Clary," Jace's voice called for her, bringing her out of the tunnel. "Please, come back. We can stop. Please, it's okay. You're safe." When her vision refocused, Jace, her beloved, sweet Jace, was there.

"N-no," she gasped, unbuttoning her pants. "I want to do this, Jace. You're not him." As she lay in her underwear, he stood, looking lovingly in her eyes. "Please."

He laid down next to her, kissing her tenderly. "We'll take it slow. You tell me if you want to stop. Okay?" She nodded eagerly, running her hand down his chest and following the trail of light hair leading down into his boxers. He groaned loudly as she palmed him, his hands traveling from her waist to her chest, massaging her breasts. She reveled in how soft he was, his length felt like velvet in her hand. His hands traveled behind her, unsnapping her bra. As she revealed her chest to him, she took a deep breath. _This is Jace_ , she thought. _This is real_.

Jace's lips moved from her mouth to join his hands on her breasts. He took one taut peak in his mouth as his hand rubbed the other one. For a few minutes, he just lavished her chest with attention until she was writhing beneath him with anticipation.

"More, Jace, more," she whined. He slid his mouth lower, skimming over her stomach before reaching her panties. "You're sure?" When she nodded, he slowly, carefully slid her panties down her legs, kissing as he went. And then his breath was on her center, where she wanted him most. She groaned, frustrated that he wasn't touching her. He must have gotten the hint because, with a chuckle, his tongue slid up and down her slit before wrapping around her clit.

"Oh, oh, oh _my god_ ," she moaned as he put a finger inside of her, his tongue still stimulating her clit. " _More_." He added another finger. The tension was building inside of her, stronger than she'd felt in her entire life. He changed the angle of his hand and suddenly she was convulsing, wrapped in pure, white-hot pleasure. As her orgasm abated, she opened her eyes to find Jace staring at her, enraptured.

"You're so beautiful, Clary. And when you come, god, it's like nothing else."

"I need you, Jace," she said, reaching for him. Her feet wrapped around his waist, pushing his boxers down his legs. He stepped out of them. He was _perfect_. He slid a condom on to his length (Clary had no clue when he got that, maybe when she nearly passed out from a life changing orgasm) and climbed on top of Clary until he was settled in between her widespread thighs.

His cock rubbed against her wetness, her clit pulsing with every slight movement. "Are you ready? And sure?" he whispered in her ear, holding her close.

"Yes. I'm okay, I promise. I just need you." Her legs wrapped around his hips as he aligned himself with her and slowly slid inside of her. At first, she just felt _full_. He was stretching her. His lips landed on hers as he continued to push forward. It hurt for a second and she winced. Jace stopped moving, frozen above her. She leaned forward, her forehead resting against his.

A few minutes later, she was ready. The pain subsided and turned into unimaginable pleasure. "Move," she urged him. He pulled out before pushing back in.

" _Jesus_ ," he groaned. "You're so hot and tight. I don't… I can't. Fuck, I love you."

She kissed him and began pushing her hips up, meeting him thrust for thrust. His pelvis skimmed her body in _just_ the right place as they met over and over again. "I love you, too, Jace. I do. I've never… oh god." He changed the angle, kneeling and lifting her leg over his shoulder.

She felt the tension building again. Her stomach was tightening as he continued thrusting. One of Jace's hand snaked between them, gently flicking her clit with his thumb.

"I, Jace, god, I'm come… Jace! Fuck!" She screamed and thrashed as her back arched and her nails scratched his back. White light flashed behind her eyes as the pleasure radiated through her whole body from her toes to her hair. She felt him still and groan her name before he spilled into the condom.

For a few moments, they stayed connected, just savoring the moment. Then Jace pulled out (despite Clary's feral growl at the emptiness) and threw away the condom. With a wet cloth, he returned to clean Clary, then crawled into bed next to her, still naked. She rolled into his arms, moving to face him.

"That was… unbelievable," she said.

"I know. I've never felt that connection before. Ever. You're, Clary, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Tears pricked at Clary's eyes when she heard the sincerity and emotion in his voice.

"You saved me," she whispered, kissing him on the chest. Soon, they succumbed to sleep.

The next morning, Clary made Jace breakfast in bed. After they ate and dressed, they turned on the news. And Clary dropped her mug of coffee. There, on the screen, were her father and brother. They'd been arrested in Pennsylvania on _murder_ charges.

"Oh my god," she gasped, ignoring the spilled coffee and falling onto the couch. Jace ran from the kitchen and immediately sat next to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frantic.

"Those… that's… my dad. My brother. It's them. They're murderers, Jace. And they've been arrested. Both of them. They're gone. Forever," she said, crawling into his lap.

"Good, I hope they rot in hell. If I ever hear they get out, I'll kill them myself," he replied, running his hand through her red curls tenderly.

"It's over, Jace. It's really over."

Jace kissed her gently on the lips. "No, Clary, it's just beginning," he said as he carried her back to bed.

 ** _And they lived happily ever after. And of course, I had to have a happy ending, because that's just me. I hope you liked it!_**


	12. Thanksgiving Loving (M)

**Title: Thanksgiving Loving**

 **Prompt: Could you do one where Jace invite Clary to dinner with her family to present her and he teases her under the table the whole time and end up doing it in his room?**

 **Rating: M**

 ** _As usual, I own nothing but the plot. Happy almost-Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans. Please review. Enjoy!_**

He asked me one night when we were in his cramped dorm room bed, naked and sweaty, our bodies pressed together. He kissed me sweetly and ran his hand through my red curls. "Come to Thanksgiving dinner, Clare." That's all he said.

"My parents…" I started. Thanksgiving was never a huge deal at my house since it was always just my parents and I, but I knew they'd be angry if I skipped out entirely on the holiday. Especially when they found out I was missing it to eat with my boyfriend of six months and his family.

"They can come too. My mom always makes a turkey big enough for thirty people and it's just the three of us."

"I'll ask," I said before pecking him on the lips. Inside, I was elated. I knew that I was in love with Jace and that he felt pretty strongly about me. We'd been acquaintances in high school but hadn't really connected until we started college at the state's largest university. It turned out we had dorm rooms across the hall from each other. We went from acquaintances to friends to lovers over our first year of college. Since we both stayed on campus for the summer, we'd had half a year of time to be together. This would be the first time we were both going back to our hometown at the same time. And Jace wanted our families to meet – that was a huge step, one I was definitely ready for.

Three weeks later, my parents and I arrived at Jace's home. It was _huge_ , at least twice the size of mine. I knew he was rich, but hadn't expected that. My parents stood quietly at my side as I rang the doorbell, allowing me to take the lead, which I appreciated. I fidgeted with my black dress, making sure it was straight and unwrinkled (mostly because I was trying to calm my nerves).

When Jace answered the door, the wind was knocked out of me for a minute. He looked delicious in tight, dark wash jeans and a grey henley that hugged his muscles. He smiled, pulling me in for a hug. "Hey Clary, you look amazing," he whispered. He released me far too quickly before turning to my parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Morgenstern, it's so nice to finally meet you." He shook my father's hand and kissed my mother's cheek, graciously leading all of us to the kitchen to meet his parents. I tried not to leer as we passed marble and ornate design into a huge, modern kitchen.

Jace's parents were standing near the island, his mom was mixing something and his dad was trying to taste it. "Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend, Clary. And these are her parents. These are Celine and Stephen Herondale, my parents."

My mom came forward to hug Mrs. Herondale. "I'm Jocelyn and this is my husband, Valentine. It's so nice to meet you. We brought wine and desert!" The four parents started talking about who knows what, so Jace took my hand and led me out of the room quietly. We watched them from the family room. I let out a sigh of relief as our moms smiled and laughed and our dads talked sports. They were getting along well, thank goodness.

"They like each other," Jace said. I nodded, smiling. We settled into the sofa and watched a Christmas movie until we were called to help set the table and bring the food over.

As we sat to eat, my mouth watered – between our moms, we had all the best of everything. It looked amazing. Mr. and Mrs. Herondale sat across from each other at the heads of the table while my parents sat across from us. Jace scooted his chair until his arm was brushing against me.

Mr. Herondale carved the turkey and we all dug in to the amazing meal in front of us. As we ate, Jace's hand rested on my knee.

Suddenly, the hand that had been unmoving on my knee started moving upwards in small, soft circles. Further and further it moved until it was sliding under my dress. My eyes widened and I hissed at Jace, who looked completely unbothered as he ate. His fingers continued to slide until my dress was bunched up and they were running along my panty line. I had to resist the urge to squirm as I felt dampness in between my thighs.

And then his fingers slid inside my wet panties and I gasped. My mom's head shot up. "Is everything alright, Clary?" she asked innocently. Thankful for the ornate table that was blocking her view, I nodded.

Jace and I were a sexual couple. We enjoyed the physical relationship and intense attraction between us and the white-hot fire that came with it. But I never imagined he'd think _thanksgiving dinner_ was an appropriate time. And yet, I felt myself getting even wetter with every rub his thumb made over my clit. My legs tensed as Jace continued to rub. I tried to keep eating, but my nipples were tight and I felt like I was burning up. All I wanted was to haul Jace to me and fuck him, but that wouldn't be happening in front of our parents.

Before I could control it, Jace's hand was speeding up and I was tightening, orgasm rolling through me. I bit my lip to stifle a moan, but I couldn't stop the jerking of my body as I released. This time, all four parents looked at me curiously. I knew my cheeks were flushed and my breathing was heavy.

"Sorry, I had a muscle spasm…" I weakly explained as I felt Jace's hands withdraw from my panties. He was smiling as he dragged his fingers to his mouth and licked them clean. In front of our parents. God, I needed to have him. It was so hot.

"Dinner was great, Mom," Jace said a while later. Finally, dinner was over. It had been excruciating to eat and hold a conversation while simultaneously imagining all the ways I could fuck Jace into oblivion.

"I'm glad you like it. You two can go relax, the parents will clean up just this once. Have fun and behave." Jace kissed his mom on the cheek before dragging me up the marble staircase and into a room that I assumed was his. His bedroom at home looked a lot like his dorm – white, plain, and clean. Basically the complete opposite of my room at home and my dorm, which were splattered with color everywhere.

Jace hauled me into his arms, tugging on the ends of my red curls. "You know, Clary, you were very, very bad tonight. Coming like that when I couldn't even properly worship you. It was wrong."

My arms slid under his shirt, sliding it over his head. He momentarily released my body to remove it before placing his hands right back where they had been. My lips went to his ear. " _I_ was bad? What about you? You get me all hot and bothered and couldn't even _fuck_ me properly. I _came_ in front of my parents and all I wanted to do was have your cock buried inside of me. It was torture."

He growled, unzipping my dress and allowing it to fall to the floor. I was suddenly glad I was wearing my good lingerie, a black, lacy thong and low cut bra. Jace's hands skimmed down my body, landing on my bare ass and pushing me towards him. "Fuck, I want you so bad baby."

"What are you waiting for? Are you gonna come over here and fuck me or what?" I asked, separating from him and laying on his king sized bed. There, sprawled out for his appraisal, I felt beautiful and powerful, how I always felt when I was with Jace. Just seeing how he reacted to me made me hot. His hands went to his belt buckle, which he hurriedly released and removed along with his pants. The bulge in his boxers was noticeable and growing with each gaze he shot my way. As he crawled towards me, I reached behind me and released my bra, which I then slid off my arms. "God, Jace, I'm so hot," I moaned, rubbing my breasts. "I need you _now_."

Jace groaned and surged forward, his lips latching around one of my hardened peaks and his hand pinching the other. I was writhing beneath him as he worked, more turned on then before. His cock was grinding against my center, two thin layers of fabric separating us. His kisses moved up to my neck, where he sucked on my pulse point. "We have to be fast, baby." I nodded even though he couldn't see me, pulling at the ends of his hair. His lips met mine in a flurry of excitement.

I brought my feet up to his hips and pushed his boxers down to his knees. I reached down and wrapped my hand around his velvety length, which was swollen and hard in my hand. I pumped a few times before releasing him. His breathy groan hit my right in the clit, which pulsed with excitement. Jace broke away from my lips, kissing down my body until he was licking along my panty line. "Quick, babe," I reminded him. He quickly pulled my panties off my body and ran his tongue up and down my wet, hot slit. "No, I don't need that – I just need you," I groaned, pulling at his hair until he crawled back up my body and his lips surged forward to reach mine. Our teeth and tongues clashed as Jace continued to grind against me, his cock hitting my clit with each thrust.

I took Jace's manhood in hand and brought it to my entrance, encouraging him to enter me. With a sweet, rough glide he entered me to the hilt. My body arched, my hands gripping his shoulders tightly. He didn't pause, immediately thrusting in and out of me quickly. It felt like we were made for each other, as it always did. His cock dragged against my walls deliciously, making me gasp as his lips moved to my neck again.

He pulled out a bit, kneeling on the bed and bringing my legs to rest on his shoulders before pushing back inside of me. He felt deeper, and I bit my lip to stop from screaming out. My hands went to my chest, pinching and squeezing my breasts as he thrusted.

"Fuck Clary, you're so hot and tight. And always so fucking wet for me. You always want me don't you? You want my cock. Watch, baby. Watch as I slide in and out of you." God, I _loved_ when he talked dirty. My gaze left his face and trailed downward, past his chiseled body and small patch of blond hair, to where we were joined. His thick length was pumping in and out of me, my juices covering it. I felt myself getting impossibly more turned on at the sight, letting out a not-so-quiet scream.

"Quiet, baby. Don't want our parents to hear, do we?" He sped up and his thrusts became more erratic as I felt myself getting closer and closer to the edge. I removed one of my hands from my breasts and trailed it down my body to my clit, where I rubbed in fast, tight circles. Jace leaned forward, sucking my left breast into his mouth roughly. I gasped at the angle change, biting my lip to contain another scream. My other hand reached behind Jace and cupped his balls as they swung back and forth against my ass. I was so close. I pushed up, meeting him thrust for thrust.

"Shit, Clary, stop. I don't want to come yet. _Fuck_." At the sound of his pained voice, I let go, letting the waves of pleasure wash over me. Before I was even able to come down from my orgasm, Jace removed himself from me, flipped me over so I was kneeling on all fours, and pushed back into me. Immediately, I felt myself tightening again.

"Oh, oh, _god_ , Jace. Fucking god. So _good. Harder baby, harder_." I tried to whisper, I really did, but I honestly have no idea how loud I was being. Jace latched his arms around my waist and sped up. He was thrusting erratically, his hands squeezing my breasts.

"Do you want more, Clare? Take it, _take it_!" He was whispering, but I could tell how much he was struggling to be quiet as I pushed my ass into his cock, taking it harder. My pussy was squeezing around him, my high so close I could barely take it. "God, I love hearing you, baby. You're so hot when you're close!" One of his hands lowered to my clit, pinching it.

"Come with me Jace, come on." My vision went white, pure pleasure spreading through my body. My orgasm pushed from my center to my toes, making me arch into Jace. I reached back, pulling at his hair. He groaned loudly and thrusted one more time before stilling inside of me. His hot seed spread inside of my still convulsing pussy. Spurt after spurt entered me as I came down from my high.

"Oh my god," I whined.

"Jesus, Clary. That was so fucking hot," he said, pulling out of me. I hissed at the empty feeling before rolling over to lay on my back. I could feel Jace's cum spilling out of me, but I couldn't come up with the energy to care. He pulled me close and kissed me deeply, his hands running through my hair. When he pulled away, I whined again.

Jace chuckled. "Do I need to remind you that our parents are downstairs, babe? You're so lucky that we live in a huge house, Ms. I-don't-know-how-to-not-scream." He got up and disappeared into the en suite bathroom and reemerged with a damp cloth.

"It's not my fault you were so god damn good," I said as he wiped himself and then me off. As we redressed, I thought about whether I should tell him or not. And I figured out that after our passionate lovemaking, it was time.

I walked over to him and helped him straighten his shirt. "I love you," I whispered, so quietly I didn't know if he heard me; I was busy inspecting my suddenly interesting toes. Until his hands cupped my cheeks and he tilted my face upwards. The smile on his lips was blinding.

"Really?" He sounded so hopeful, like he couldn't imagine that I was telling the truth.

"I love you, Jace Herondale. Really."

He picked me up, twirling me around before kissing me gently. "I love you, too," he said, his forehead resting against mine.

Soon enough, we had to go downstairs and join our parents. If they noticed that Jace's hair was messy or that I had a hickey on my neck, they didn't say anything. But nothing would ever be the same for Jace and me.


	13. Coming Out

**Title: Coming Out**

 **Prompt: Clary and Simon are best friends. Jace is Simon brother and Clary and Jace are sneaking behind Simon's back.**

 **Rating: K**

 ** _I don't own anything but the plot, as always. Thank you guys so much for enjoying these one shots and genuinely liking my writing. It makes me feel great to know that you all read my stories and like them. Reviews make my heart swell. And keep the prompts coming!_**

Simon Lewis and Clary Morgenstern had been best friends since they were five, when the Morgensterns moved into a house three doors down from the Lewis-Wayland residence. In all that time, Jace Wayland, Simon's stepbrother, was the bane of their existence. He and his friends teased them as losers and tormented them for years.

All of that changed when the three were in eighth grade. Jace came home from soccer practice one day to find Clary and Simon hanging out by the pool. His fourteen year old hormones went crazy when he saw Clary in her little green two piece, with her red curls cascading down her back and her pale skin sparkling in the sun. Since that day, Jace had been in love with Clary.

But she was Simon's best friend. And she hated his guts. So he just suffered in misery, watching her as she bloomed into a smart, stunning, kind woman. Meanwhile, he dated anything that had boobs and went through girls like underwear. She ignored him.

That's why it was so surprising when Jace opened the door one day during the summer before senior year to find Clary standing there in the pouring rain. "Simon's not here, he's visiting his dad in Milwaukee for the week," he'd told her. Her auburn hair was flat and wet, sticking to her back. Her jeans were soaking wet. Water was even dripping from her eyelashes. She looked like a drowned rat. A beautiful drowned rat, but a drowned rat nonetheless.

"I know… I _am_ his best friend," she'd huffed, pushing past him to drip water all over the foyer. Elaine would _murder_ Jace if he didn't wipe it up immediately, so he went to the hall closet to grab a towel. Meanwhile, Clary just stood there, silently watching him.

"You're dripping all over my house."

"I know."

Jace rolled his eyes. Despite his love for her, even he could admit that sometimes she was a pain in the ass. "What exactly did you want, Clary?" he huffed.

"Are Elaine and Michael home?" Great, she was deflecting, that couldn't be good.

"Nope, they went to Texas for some business conference of my dad's. Now, what is it that you want?"

She wouldn't look at him, fidgeting with the hem of her tank top. "Can I have a change of clothes? I'm freezing. And I'm pretty sure Elaine will kill you if there are water stains on the wood when she gets back."

"Sure, come on," he said, already starting up the stairs. It's not like she didn't know where his room was anyway, it was right across the hall from Simon's. She waited in the hall ( _thank_ _god_ she knew better than to drip on the carpet) as he pulled out a sweatshirt and some basketball shorts for her as well as a dry towel. She grabbed the clothes from him and disappeared into the bathroom next door as Jace awkwardly lingered in the hallway. The idea of Clary in his clothes did something to him that he couldn't fully explain. He'd been with far too many girls in his seventeen years, but none of them ever affected him the way Clary did just by being in his space.

Clary emerged a few minutes later and Jace had to stifle a groan. Her hair was a dryer than it had been, but fell in messy spirals around her face. Her emerald eyes were sparkling as she tried to roll up the sleeves on the sweatshirt. The clothes engulfed her, but he couldn't get over the fact that she was wearing them. "So, are we just going to stand awkwardly in the hallway?" he asked, shaking his head a bit to clear it.

She sighed and made her way down the stairs without responding. Jace followed her, still confused. She was quiet as she descended and then made her way to the laundry room to throw her clothes in the dryer. Sometimes it scared him how well she knew his house. When she finally sat down on the sofa, Jace sat next to her, watching her.

"So, I was hanging out with Isabelle today. You know, Simon's girlfriend-"

"Yes, Clary, I know Izzy. I'm her brother's best friend, remember?" He was getting frustrated… why couldn't she just spit it out already?

"Okay, okay, calm down. So we were hanging out and the subject of… you know… relationships came up. And we were talking and well, I guess she kind of dared me to come over and talk to you." She was clearly nervous; she was running her hands through her curls and biting her lip. Again, Jace had to bite back a groan. She seriously had no clue what she did to him.

Jace was confused. "What does that have to do with me?" he asked, his eyes closed.

"I kinda like you, Jace." At that, Jace's eyes snapped open and met Clary's. She was still biting that damn lip as she waited for him to respond.

"What?"

"I've had this, this _thing_ for you for a while. But you're Si's stepbrother and generally a bit of an ass and… I don't know. This was a mistake. I should have just called off the dare. Izzy would have been fine with it. I can't believe I walked here in the pouring rain. Sorry I bothered you." She stood up quickly. Jace knew if he didn't act soon she would leave feeling rejected and he would lose his chance. So he quickly wrapped his hand around her wrist, pulling her towards him softly.

"Clary, wait." He stood, hovering over her short, five foot two frame. His hand move until it was entwined with hers, his thumb rubbing her skin reassuringly. Jace felt like he couldn't breathe when he saw the stunning flush in Clary's cheeks as she stared up at him.

"I… I've liked you for a really long time, Clary." Her mouth opened in surprise and he heard her gasp. That's when he made his move. His free hand rose to cup her cheek gently, savoring the soft skin beneath his palm. He leaned down until his nose was hitting Clary's and he could feel her pants of breath on her skin. He was giving her time to back out, but she didn't. Instead, she leaned forward and her red, plump lips met his gently. It was an innocent kiss, but to Jace it was the best he'd ever had. Sooner than he would have like, Clary pulled back, her green eyes staring into his amber ones.

"Go out with me?" he asked.

"Okay…" she whispered before leaning in to kiss him again.

Six months later

"I have to go, Jace," Clary whined from her place under Jace on his bed. He was sucking on that spot on her neck that made her weak in the knees and she was trying desperately to resist his charms. Simon was going to be home any minute. It was a Sunday night, so he had to be home from Izzy's soon to finish his homework.

"No," he murmured, his lips still against her skin. He was so sick and tired of hiding his relationship with Clary. All he wanted to do was hold her hand at school and take her out on a real date. And he couldn't because she was too scared to tell Simon about them. Her small hands landed on his chest and she pushed him off of her before sitting up on the bed and straightening her hair out.

Jace sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Are we ever going to tell him?"

Clary froze and looked at him. "Of course we are. I just need… to find the right moment. I don't want him to be mad."

"He's gonna be mad, babe. It's been six months. We should just rip the Band-Aid off."

She leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek. "Soon. Right now I've gotta go."

Jace walked her out, kissing her briefly and watching as she walked back to her house quickly. When he got back in his room, he laid on the bed. It was so hard to pretend that he wasn't in love with her, to act normal around her, to _not_ pull her into his arms and kiss her whenever he saw her. And it was hard to deal with all those girls – the ones that didn't know he was taken and continued to flirt with him. All he wanted was to shout from the rooftop that he was in love with Clary Morgenstern and he couldn't – he'd promise they would do it on her schedule.

"Hey, dude, what's up?" Simon called from Jace's doorway.

"Not much, how was your date?"

"Good, good. Izzy and I saw that new Hunger Games movie. She's obsessed. I'm starting to worry that she may leave me if the tall, dark haired guy shows up around here. Anyhow, I'm gonna finish my homework and get to bed. You still driving Clary and I to school tomorrow?"

"Sure. See ya tomorrow." Simon left, closing the door behind him. It was killing Jace. Simon and Jace had never had a terrible relationship. I mean, Jace teased him and made fun of him sometimes (hey, he _was_ a nerd), but Simon knew that deep down Jace viewed him as a brother. Which made this screwed up situation even harder.

On Monday, Jace stood outside at exactly eight in the morning, leaning against his car and waiting for Simon and Clary to meet him. The night before, he'd come up with a plan to show Clary that it was time to come out in the open – he would appeal to her jealous side. He knew she was jealous. He could see her grind her teeth when girls flirted with him. She rolled her eyes and balled her hands into fists when a couple stupid cheerleaders harassed him. He only hoped it would work this time. When he saw Clary walking down the block, he wanted to go meet her, to hold her in his arms. But, at the very same time, Simon exited the house, making it impossible. He settled for a tense hello as they piled into his car.

At school, Jace murmured goodbye to Simon and Clary and found Aline Pennhallow right away. She was a friend of his, a cheerleader that he'd known for all the years he'd played football. He also happened to know that she was a closeted lesbian in a long-term relationship with a girl named Helen who went to a different school.

"I need your help," he said as they walked to class together. She knew all about Clary, just like he knew about Helen. Aline was the _only_ one who knew – even Alec, Jace's best friend in the world, couldn't know for fear that he would spill to Izzy. As he explained the situation and his plan, Aline's eyes widened.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked as they walked into first period. He just nodded. For the next few hours, he was obsessed with the plan.

At lunch, he walked into the cafeteria with Aline. When they arrived at their table, she sat close to him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Their friends didn't say anything; they were used to Jace making the rounds with different girls. In fact, they'd worried for the past six months that he'd been "single" that he was losing his touch. It was reassuring to them to see him being himself again.

Across the cafeteria, Clary was _fuming_. What the hell was he doing? How dare Jace be over there all over some other girl? "You okay, Clary?" Izzy asked, breaking Clary's stare, which was aimed at the back of Jace's head.

"Yeah, why?"

"You're staring into space," Simon added, stealing a chip from Clary's lunch.

"I'm actually not feeling too well. I think I'm gonna head to the nurse. See you later?" They nodded and went back to eating their lunches as Clary gathered her belongings and left. As she walked out, she met Jace's eye and nodded at him, signaling him to follow her.

When Clary found a janitor's closet, she opened the door and waited for Jace. Luckily, he'd gotten the message and was right behind her. She slammed the door behind them and turned on the light. "What do you think you're doing?" she hissed as she saw him standing there, smirking at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"With Aline. What are you doing?"

"Well, my friends are wondering why I've been single so long. And _you_ don't want to be public…"

"That's not true," she interrupted. "I _do_ , I'm just scared. You know that."

"Well I can't do this anymore. So either you tell him, and the world, or I'm going to go ahead and date someone who will be proud to be seen with me, like Aline. So think about it." He took her face between his hands and kissed her briefly. And then he left, leaving Clary standing with her mouth open.

Jace didn't answer when Clary called him later. But when the doorbell rang at 10 pm, he couldn't ignore it. Simon ran downstairs and got to the door first, Jace hot on his heels. He stopped in the hallway and peeked around the corner. Clary was standing there in her pajamas, her hair in a messy ponytail. "Hey Clary, you didn't tell me you were coming by. Is something wrong?" Simon asked as Jace leaned against the wall of the hall, listening in on the conversation without being seen.

"I… I'm… JaceandIaredating."

"Sorry, Clare, I thought you just said you and Jace were dating."

"We are." Silence. All Jace heard was complete and total silence, except for a door slamming.

"JACE!" He heard Simon scream suddenly and sulked into the foyer. After all, he'd been the one pressuring Clary into telling Simon. He had to take responsibility.

"Why, Jace?" Simon asked as soon as Jace came into view. Clary was standing by the door, her eyes wet with unfallen tears. Simon pushed Jace's chest. "Out of every girl you could have, why my best friend? Is it not enough that you're smarter, more popular, more athletic and just better at everything? Now you steal _Clary_?"

"No one stole me, Si. We've been dating for six months, and I'm still around, aren't I?" Clary interrupted, but she was speaking to Simon's back as he yelled at Jace.

" _Six months_? You've been lying to me for six months?"

"Simon, please, take a breath," Jace pleaded.

"No, I can't believe you did this."

"We didn't do it to hurt you. Really, we didn't. In fact, we both resisted for a really long time because of you. But we can't help that we fell in love. Clary didn't freak out when you and Izzy got together, even though she was suddenly a third wheel, because she _knew you loved Izzy_. And I love Clary." Jace heard the high-pitched gasp coming from behind Simon, but he was too focused on his stepbrother to concentrate on anything else, even Clary.

Simon's face softened as he turned to look to his friend and back to Jace. "You really love her? Like, this isn't just some new conquest?"

"I really love her. With my whole heart. I swear."

"If you hurt her, I will hurt you." Simon thought about it for a second. "Or I'll… pay someone to hurt you. Do you understand me?"

"Simon!" Clary interrupted again.

"If I hurt her, I will hurt myself." Jace moved to stand next to Clary, his arm slipping around her waist.

Simon sighed. "This is going to take some getting used to, but I'll try. On one condition, Clare."

"What?"

"You get to tell Izzy!" he said before running back up the stairs, laughing.

"Well, shit," Clary groaned. Jace just kissed her forehead and smiled.

"You really love me?" she asked.

"I really love you."

"Good, cause I love you too," she said before turning in his arms and throwing herself at him, peppering his face with kisses. As their lips latched together, the kiss got heated. Jace picked her up and carried her up the stairs to his room, closing the door behind him with his foot.

"And no sex noises through the walls, Wayland! I have the money to call someone to hurt you, don't forget!" Simon shouted through the wall. Clary pulled away from Jace and laughed as he groaned.

The next day, Jace walked into school holding Clary's hand. He proudly explained to everyone that she was his _girlfriend_. Izzy spent the whole week pestering Clary, but even she admitted it was worth it as she kissed Jace besides his car on Friday afternoon after school.


	14. Fancy Seeing You Here

_**So, it's been a few months since I've been on FanFic. I started a new job, moved across the country, and it took a bit for me to adjust. But I'm back! I'm a bit rusty, so I decided to do a few one shots to warm back up. Thanks for bearing with me.**_

 **Title: Fancy Seeing You Here**

 **Prompt: Clary and Jace new each other in high school- Jace was the bad boy Clary was the good girl. After high school Jace becomes a cop and one night he gets a call about some girls causing a ruckus at a bar - Clary is one of those girls.**

 **Rating: T**

Jace Wayland was sitting at the Sheriff's Office with his boring pile of paperwork and a hot cup of coffee. Being a sheriff's deputy in the small town of Alicante wasn't very exciting, especially when his boss, Robert Lightwood, insisted that he not patrol unless he got a call. Apparently, people were calling to complain that a man in a black leather jacket was stalking through the streets in the middle of the night… Jace couldn't help that residents of Alicante were boring and he didn't have anything to do all night but walk up and down the streets, hoping for _something_ to happen. It wasn't so bad during the day, when Sheriff Lightwood, the office staff, and the other deputy, Jon, were around. But when Jace had the night shift all alone, he got antsy. There were never any issues, never any calls, never any action. And it frustrated the hell out of him.

It was ironic that Jace got into law enforcement at all. He could only think his best college friend, Alec Lightwood, for hooking him up with the job after college. Alec had mentioned in passing that his dad was hiring in Alicante, a few hours north of New York City in Idris County, New York. Jace had immediately turned it down – he wanted to stay in Manhattan. That lasted about three months. Unemployment in Manhattan was a hard pill to swallow, so he'd moved with Alec to Alicante where Alec went to work for a small law firm and he went to work at the Sheriff's Office.

Jace was a bad boy. Always had been. In high school, he spent more time smoking and having sex than in class. Thank goodness he'd played soccer… it was the only way he got into college at all. In college, he majored in sports management. It was an easy major and didn't require too many difficult classes. He skipped more classes than he attended, but squeaked by to get a diploma. He wasn't prepared for the economy he graduated into, but reality hit him fast.

When he came to interview with Sheriff Lightwood, he thought the whole thing was a joke – he never imagined he would be a cop. He walked in with his black skinny jeans, white tee shirt, and signature black leather jacket. His tattoos were hidden, but his piercings weren't. The Sheriff's eyes widened, surprised by the man that Alec had described as his best college friend. But Lightwood was willing to take a shot on Jace, clearly seeing something in him that he didn't see in himself.

"Dammit boy, take that damn ring out of your ear!" was the first thing the Sheriff said to him on his first day. "And out of your nose! You're a damn cop now, act like it!" And Jace had. He'd cut his hair, stopped drinking himself to oblivion, removed the nose piercing (although he kept the stud in his ear… he had to remember his roots), and dedicated himself to impressing the only man that had really given him the time of day… ever. And he was a good cop.

The phone ringing woke Jace out of the nap he'd apparently taking on his paperwork.

"Idris County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Wayland speaking. Can I help you?"

 _"_ _Yes, you can. There's some sort of ruckus going on at the bar around the corner from my house. I don't know what's going on, but it's keeping me awake. It's that bar on the corner of Main and 1_ _st_ _– I don't know the name."_ The caller sounded like the normal miserable old lady calling about some kids having fun.

"Of course, I know what bar you're talking about, I'll go check it out. Thank you and have a good night." Honestly, he was just relieved to get out of the office.

When he pulled up to Martin's Bar, Jace didn't see anything out of place. Until he stepped out of the car. That's when he heard it. Shrieking and abnormally loud laughing. Slamming the car door behind him, Jace went around the side of the building to see what was causing the noise that was piercing the otherwise quiet night. And what he found shocked him. There, in the alley, stood five women, probably about his age. They were dressed to the nines and laughing loudly, some with bottles in their hands. It was dark, so he moved closer to get a better look and speak to the group.

"Stop walking over here, asshole, I have pepper spray!" one of the women yelled at him.

"Alicante Police… we got notice of a noise disturbance so I came to check it out. No need to spray pepper spray."

"Jace?" He walked closer, apparently one of the women recognized him. As the woman came into sight, he gasped. There, standing in front of him was Clary Fray, the girl he'd dreamed about and pined over in high school in Brooklyn. She had always been the good girl. Valedictorian, scholarships to Harvard, Yale and Columbia, and all around rule follower.

"Clary Fray?"

The redhead smiled and moved even closer until she was standing toe to toe with him. "Well, well, well, _Jace Wayland_ is a _cop_. I gotta say, I never saw that one coming." Her emerald green eyes were a little glazed over and her words were slurred slightly, but she was still the amazingly beautiful, alluring woman she'd always been. She was wearing a short, lacy, black dress and knee-high boots. Her red curls were pulled up, framing her face. She still looked like the girl from high school, but with an edge. The diamond stud in her nose just added to her seductive look. Jace licked his lips without thinking.

"Wait, Jace is here?" another voice called. Another, taller, woman came closer and Jace immediately recognized her as Isabelle Lightwood, Alec's sister and Sheriff Lightwood's only daughter. Her dark hair and eyes blended into the night, but she was unmistakable in her all white outfit and five-inch heels.

"Izzy? How do you know Clary? What are you guys doing here?"

"You know that super important gallery my public relations firm just landed? Welllll, Clary and her mom own it. And we've become really great friends since I've been living in Manhattan. We're here for Anna's bachelorette party – I dragged Clary along with me," Izzy explained. Anna was one of Izzy's high school friends; she'd tried to set Jace and Anna up when he first got to town, but soon gave up when Anna found her 'true love.' Thank god, because he was totally not into her.

"Comeeee onnnn," one of the other girls in the group slurred.

"Clare, we gotta go. The limo's waiting to take us to the next bar," Izzy said, grabbing her friend's arm.

"Actually, I think I'm going to bail. You go on with your friends. Jace will make sure I get to your house, won't you Jace?" Clary asked innocently, locking eyes with him.

"Uh, yeah, sure thing," Jace mumbled nervously. Izzy nodded before rejoining the other girls. "Oh, and keep it down! One more noise complaint and I'll bring all of you in!" Jace shouted as an afterthought, shook up by Clary's continued presence. Izzy just laughed as the group left. He turned back to Clary. "Let's go."

She followed him silently to his squad car having seemingly sobered up now that she was away from the group. Once he opened the door for her and she slid into the front seat, she let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Jace. You saved me from a night of getting plastered and partying with girls I don't actually like. Well, besides Izzy, of course. Those other girls are _awful_." She offered Jace a small smile.

"Glad to be of service," he said, chuckling.

"It's crazy you're a cop. You were such a bad boy in high school. You were arrested, what, like three times? What happened to you?" Okay, Clary was clearly still a little bit drunk.

Jace turned to face her at a red light. "What happened to you? Don't think I didn't notice that stud in your nose. You little rebel!" Clary laughed and Jace was reminded about why she always made him happy. Her laugh was infectious, her smile contagious. Soon enough he was laughing too.

"Well, I guess it's safe to say we both changed, huh?" Jace nodded.

As they pulled up to the Lightwood house, Clary sat back in the seat, trying to extend her time in the car. "You know, I had such a crush on you in high school!" she exclaimed suddenly. Jace sucked in a breath, but didn't say anything, waiting for her to continue. "You were so funny and cool and gutsy and handsome. Got, I used to just stare at you sometimes. But you never even noticed me…"

Jace interrupted her. "What do you mean? Of course I noticed you. You were every guy's fantasy. The gorgeous girl who was a constant mystery. And you were so smart, and kind, and gentle. The total opposite of my crowd. We were rude and rowdy. You got along with everybody while I just got in fights with people."

Clary smiled softly before it quickly faded. "My dad died."

Jace furrowed his brows in confusion. "What?"

"You wanted to know what changed. My dad died during my freshman year at Harvard – liver cancer. I transferred to Columbia to be closer to my mom. And I realized that pre-med was always my dad's thing. I wanted him to be proud of me and becoming a doctor was the easiest way to do that. I loved my dad, I still do, but I felt so _free_ after he died. Free from his expectations. I double majored in fine arts and business and now I own my own gallery with my mom. I love it." She closed her eyes, like she was reminiscing.

"I became a cop out of desperation," he started. "I was unemployed and broke and Izzy's brother Alec was my best friend in college and his dad was the sheriff here. And it turns out that Robert Lightwood gave a shit about me; I did it to make him proud. I _do_ it to make him proud. Now he's like my dad; the Lightwoods are my family." Clary knew what happened with Jace's family. His mom had died when he was a toddler. When they were freshmen in high school, Michael Wayland had just up and disappeared from his son's life. The only contact they had was the money Michael sent every month. Even that stopped as soon as Jace graduated high school.

"I'm glad you have them," she whispered, taking his hand in hers.

"Me too. And I'm glad you're being you – even if it took you twenty years to get there."

"Me too," she said, laughing. It didn't escape Jace's notice that they were still holding hands.

"Do you maybe want to go out with me sometime?" Jace asked hesitantly, running his free hand through his hair. Clary couldn't help but giggle because his insecurity was so _not_ the Jace Wayland she remembered. It was endearing though.

"I… that's a bad idea, Jace."

"Why?" Her green eyes were staring into his with a fire that he never would have expected from Clary.

"Well, for starters, we don't even know each other."

"That's the point of dating – _getting to know_ each other."

"I live in the city and you live all the way up here."

"It's only a few hours by train."

Clary closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "Okay," she whispered.

"Okay? Really?"

"One date. And we'll see what happens."

"Okay," Jace replied with a smile on his face. He turned to face Clary again and saw his smile mirrored on her face. He couldn't help himself when he leaned over and kissed her cheek. She pushed her cell phone into Jace's hand and he pulled back, looking at her curiously.

"If you want to go on a date, we _might_ need to exchange numbers," she said before laughing at his dumbfounded expression. Jace shook his head, still smiling.

"Right, of course." After he put his number in her phone and texted himself, he handed Clary back her phone.

Clary opened the passenger door and got out, slamming the door behind her. "Bye Jace," she said through the open window, her red curls falling into her face.

"Bye Clary, I'll talk to you soon." With one last smile, she was gone. Jace just sat there in his car for a minute, shocked by the way his night had turned out. Then he quietly drove back to the station. An hour or so later, he was startled by his phone's text message alert ringing through the silent station.

 _Goodnight, Jace. xx_

It was from Clary. Jace just chuckled – this was the start of something great, he just knew it.

(Six months later, Jace took a job with NYPD after being personally recommended by Sheriff Lightwood. He moved into Clary's apartment).

(They were married a year after that. At the reception, they played a slideshow of the happy couple, including their high school pictures, paintbrushes and nose rings included).


	15. Private Eye

**Title: Private Eye**

 **Prompt: Clary hires Jace to investigate the disappearance of her brother– she never counted on falling for him along the way.**

 **Rating: T**

 ** _I own nothing but the plot. This one got away from me... it's a long one!_**

Clary hesitated before walking into Herondale Investigations, doubting her plan for the first time. She wasn't sure her brother even wanted to be found and she didn't know how she would handle getting news that he wasn't around to be found anymore. Taking a deep breath, she assured herself this was the right decision. She _needed_ to know once and for all. She opened the door, startled by the chime announcing her arrival. The office was plain, but clearly a sign of a successful business. The couches in the waiting area were real leather, there was a flat screen TV mounted on the wall for clients to watch as they waited. Magazines lined another wall and yet another was filled with newspaper clippings, all of successful cases that Herondale Investigations had been a part of. They were the best, that's why Clary had chosen them.

She walked up to the counter and rang the bell, counting the seconds as they passed before a beautiful woman with straight black hair and dark brown eyes came into view. She was wearing a dress that was clearly too short and skimpy to be considered "professional" and high heels. Her lips were lined in cherry red, matching the necklace that hung from her neck.

"Hi," the woman said. "Welcome to Herondale Investigations. I apologize, our normal receptionist is out sick today, so I'm filling in and I just came back from an undercover assignment, hence the getup. I'm Izzy, by the way. One of the PIs here." The woman pulled on a hoodie and pulled her hair up in a ponytail as she spoke.

"Hello, Izzy. I have an appointment with Mr. Herondale at 4 pm, I hope I'm not late – I teach elementary school and got delayed after the bell. Clarissa Garroway."

"Ah yes, you're not late at all, in fact, you're right on time. I'll let Jace know you're here. Call him Jace – he _hates_ being called by his last name. Anyhow, I'll be back in a flash!" With one last smile, the woman was running barefoot away from the reception desk and down a hallway. Clary stood awkwardly, waiting for Jace to come out. She began reading the stories on the wall – stories of kidnapped children being found, lost pets being reunited with their owners, and stolen belongings being returned. She felt at ease seeing all the good work the place did – clearly they weren't sleazy PIs.

"Some of our success stories, they get us through the days when we have to stalk cheating spouses," a deep voice came from behind her. Spinning on her heels, Clary almost completely lost her balance when she saw the man standing before her. His wavy, golden hair fell in a messy mop at the top of his head; his chiseled face and tawny eyes were like nothing Clary had ever seen. His muscular arms were covered by his shirtsleeves, which were rolled up to his elbows to show some tattoos peeking through. He wore dark wash jeans and biker boots. If _this_ was Jace Herondale, Clary was in big trouble. He was smiling brightly at her, leaning against the doorframe. "I'm Jace, you must be Clarissa, its nice to meet you." He offered his hand to Clary, who, after a brief pause to stare at the man, walked forward to shake his hand. She couldn't help the jolt of _something_ she felt when their hands met, but she immediately released his hand with and awkward smile. Jace just looked at her curiously.

"I am, but please call me Clary. Only my grandma calls me Clarissa."

"Right, well, Clary, please follow me to my office." Clary trailed behind Jace as he walked down a long hallway. In one open office, Clary saw Izzy, now wearing sweatpants and no makeup and typing away on a computer. In another, she saw a dark haired man with bright blue eyes talking on the telephone. Finally, at the end of the hall, she followed Jace into his large office. He motioned for her to sit before sitting behind the desk. "So, what can we help you with, Clary?"

Clary cleared her throat, suddenly nervous again. She was actually doing it. This man could give her the answers she needed. "I- I uh, I want to find this man. He would be 27 and disappeared about twelve years ago." She pulled a picture of Jon out of her wallet, the last picture she had of him. He was smiling brightly right before he left for soccer camp. "His name is Jonathan Morgenstern."

Jace studied the picture and then looked at Clary. She was stunning, with bright red curls framing her face, porcelain skin, and startling green eyes. She had a few tears in her eyes as she spoke and her long eyelashes fluttered as she tried to blink them away. "Who is he?"

"Jonathan Morgenstern."

"I know _that_. I mean, who is he to you?" he pressed.

Clary sighed, wiping at her eyes. She knew she'd have to tell him sooner or later. So she decided to bite the bullet and tell him now. "He's my older brother. I believe our biological father, Valentine Morgenstern, kidnapped him when I was twelve and Jon was fifteen. Our father was a bad man, Jace; he killed a lot of people. I need to know if my brother is alive."

"Why do you think your father took him? What makes you so sure he didn't run away?"

Clary shook her head absentmindedly. "No, Jon was devoted to me and my mom. He never would have left us without a word. And our father – he was obsessed with Jon. Jon was his legacy, the continuation of the Morgenstern line. He never had time for me, but he doted on Jon. When our parents divorced, I was four and Jon was seven, he only wanted visitation with Jon. Jon decided when he was thirteen to cut off contact, when he figured out Valentine's business. He's a hit man – or at least he was. He said he'd find Jon and 'show him the error of his ways'. He sent threatening letters – my mom got a restraining order. But that didn't stop Valentine. He wouldn't give up, even calling Jon in the middle of the night. Then Jon disappeared. My dad – I mean my stepdad, technically, Luke, he's a cop. He looked for _years_ – there was no trace of Jon or Valentine. My mom thinks Jon is dead; she has given up all hope. I can't do that – I need to know for sure."

Jace couldn't believe what he was hearing. If he took this case, it would be his hardest one yet. And there was real danger associated with it. But the woman sitting in front of him was desperate. Her bright green eyes were filled with tears that she was furiously wiping away at; she clearly hated being seen as weak. And she deserved answers. There was something different about this girl, something that tugged on his soul in a way that others didn't. "Okay," he said. "We will take the case."

Clary's eyes snapped to his. "Really?" she nearly whimpered.

"Yes."

"Can I help with the investigation?"

That surprised Jace – no client had ever asked to help before, especially when there was a dangerous situation. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Yes! I need to be a part of this; I need to bring my mom answers. You need to at least keep me up to date."

"Okay. Let us do some background and we can meet again in a few weeks and go over everything."

"Thank you Jace, really. What about your fee?" The thought of charging the woman sitting across from him for anything made his heart hurt. Which shocked him – Jace was nothing if not a businessman.

"Don't worry about it right now – we'll figure it out once we know how much effort this whole thing is going to be."

"Okay." With that, she rose and offered him her hand. He shook it and escorted her out. As soon as the door closed behind her, Jace sunk to the floor, his hand running through his hair. What the hell had he gotten himself into? And just who was this girl who made his heart beat faster just by being in the room?

Three weeks later, Clary made her way back into Herondale Investigations. She'd gotten the call from Jace earlier in the week that they had some news to share. When she got inside, a glittery man was sitting at the front desk. "Hello, darling, you must be Clary. They are expecting you! I'm Magnus, I work the front desk here. It's such a pleasure."

"Hi Magnus, it's nice to meet you."

"You too, biscuit. You can go on back. It's the first room on the left." With a smile, Clary entered and found the room. It was a conference room, and it was covered in piles of papers and pictures. Izzy and Jace were there, talking quietly with the dark haired man she'd seen at the office the last time she'd been there.

"Hello," she said, announcing her presence. Three heads snapped up and saw her. Jace looked tired, but still smiled at her.

The truth was, Jace hadn't been sleeping. And when he did, red curls and emerald eyes floated across his mind. That was _unacceptable_. Jace had never dreamed of any woman, let alone a client. But despite knowing all of that, his pulse sped up when Clary walked in. He bit his lip to keep himself from smiling brightly at her.

"Clary," he nearly sighed, to his own chagrin. "You're right on time. You've met Izzy already. This is Alec, Izzy's brother. They are my other investigators. They've been helping out on your case." She shook both of their hands, but her eyes never left the white board behind them, the one with Jon's picture smack dab in the middle of it.

Taking a seat, Clary turned to Jace. "What did you find out?"

"We found Valentine Morgenstern."

"Already? How?" Clary was thrilled. Finding Valentine, as terrible as he was, meant she was that much closer to finding Jon.

"We, uh matched that DNA sample you gave us last week to DNA on file with the Los Angeles Police Department… He was an unidentified corpse last year," Alec said, looking everywhere but Clary.

"He's dead?" she whispered.

"Yes, I'm sorry Clary," Isabelle added. Jace was just sitting there, watching Clary carefully as she processed the news. No one in the room expected it when she started laughing, throwing her head back wildly. The three investigators took turns glancing at each other nervously as she continued on, oblivious to their stares.

"It-It's just… he was _such_ a bastard. An abusive, controlling bastard who stole my brother from me. And now he's dead. I hope he rots in hell!" Clary said through her laughs. Isabelle shifted uncomfortably as Alec sipped at his water, trying to avoid the hysterical woman in front of him. After a few minutes, Jace walked over to Clary and sat next to her. Her laughter quieted as she met his eyes. His golden orbs were flickering with something – hesitance maybe?

"We lost the trail to your brother with Valentine's death, Clary."

"What?!" she yelled, standing up and pushing Jace away from her. "How?"

"Well, we can't find him anywhere after 2014 – we've checked all the usual places. We tried to go through Valentine, but clearly that won't work now. So, if you want to find him, we need to speak to your mother. She might know something without even realizing it."

Clary was so close to just leaving. To storming away and pretending she had never stepped foot into Herondale Investigations. She stood facing the door, breathing harshly but still, for far too long. Until Jace's hand touched her shoulder gently. "It's the only way," he whispered. Clary felt goose bumps rise on her skin as his breath caressed her neck and his deep voice invaded her senses. She froze with her hand on the doorknob. "Clary, it's the only way," he repeated softly.

"Okay," she finally assented with a deep breath. "I'll talk to her. Will you… will you come with me?"

There was a brief pause, during which Clary's green eyes stared into his. He could see the fear in them. "Sure," he said, without even really thinking about it.

"Okay, thanks, just let me go to the restroom and then we'll go." She left the room and Jace turned to his friends. They were both giving him the look of disapproval.

"What?" he asked.

"This is a bad idea Jace. You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment. You're too involved with her," Alec said sternly. Izzy just nodded in agreement.

"I'm fine. Don't worry, I've got a handle on it." Izzy rolled her eyes and Alec looked anything but convinced. "Seriously, don't worry about me. I'll be back in time for family night tonight, okay. Meet at my apartment at 8 – can you pick up Will?" When they nodded, Jace left the room, meeting Clary in the hallway.

"Ready?" he asked. She just nodded silently.

When they got to Clary's mom's house, Jace was briefly introduced as a friend before they sat in the family room – Clary told her mother that they needed to talk. Clary was antsy, shifting uncomfortably. Jace's hand automatically landed on one of hers, squeezing lightly. Clary exhaled and relaxed slightly, not noticing Jocelyn Garroway watching the pair with wide eyes.

"Are you here to tell me your getting married? Oh my god, Clary… are you pregnant?" The older woman was frantic know, fumbling for her phone, presumably to call her husband. Jace's hand flew from Clary's like he'd been shocked.

"No, no, Mrs. Garroway. I promise. Clary and I aren't… we're just friends."

Jocelyn released a deep sigh of relief. Clary bit her lip anxiously. "So, if it's not that, Clary, what is it?"

"I, uh, Mom, I uh, Jace is a private investigator. I hired him… to find Jon." Jace was just sitting there uncomfortably as Jocelyn got up and began pacing. "Mom, please, sit," Clary begged.

"Clarissa Adele Garroway, I can't even believe you! You _know_ how hard it's been for me to accept that Jon was gone and now you've pulled this bullshit! I can't believe you. _He's dead, Clary_. Deal with it." Jace was shocked to hear the tone of Jocelyn's voice. The previously loving and dedicated mother was suddenly defensive and downright nasty. He couldn't help himself when he came to stand between Clary and her mother, facing Jocelyn and protecting Clary from her ranting mother.

"Mrs. Garroway, calm down!" he all but screamed, well aware that Clary was crying behind him. The woman's pale skin was bright red, but she quieted at Jace's tone.

"Valentine's dead…" Clary whispered so quietly that Jace wasn't even sure Jocelyn heard her. But she had because she immediately fell back down to the sofa, suddenly quiet as tears welled in her eyes. Jace sat down again, closer to Clary this time, so that their thighs were touching. Jocelyn was sitting across from them, stone faced. Clary's eyes flitted from Jace before landing on her mother.

The silence stretched on for what felt like hours. Jocelyn just stared at Clary while Clary fidgeted uncomfortably. Meanwhile, Jace just looked back and forth between the mother and daughter, wondering why he willingly stepped into the minefield that was the Garroway residence at that moment.

Finally, mercifully, Jocelyn spoke. "Is he really dead?" she murmured. Clary nodded. "Wow, I can't… I'm so sorry, Clary."

"W-why are you sorry, Mom?"

"I can't talk about this."

"Why are you sorry, Mom? _Tell me_. I deserve to know!"

"I… Jon, he went with Valentine. He chose to..."

Clary erupted, nearly knocking Jace off the sofa with the force of her anger. "What?"

"Clary, please you have to understand, we were _desperate_." When Clary didn't respond, Jocelyn continued. "Remember that camp you went to at the end of that summer, right before Jon's soccer camp? Well, when Luke left to pick you up, Valentine showed up. He wanted to take Jon. Said now he was old enough to be a man and needed his father to teach him how. When Jon refused, Valentine threatened to go to court and fight for custody of both of you. So, so Jon decided to go with him. He promised to drop any idea of coming for you if Jon went."

"So you what? You just let your _fifteen-year-old son_ decide to go with his _psychotic_ father without any care in the world? You traded one kid for the other? And then you lied to me about it all this time! Didn't you care about Jon at all?"

Jocelyn was sobbing. " _Of course_ I loved your brother. I couldn't get him to change his mind. I-I tried. So, so much. Please, Clary, please don't be angry. _I tried_."

"Not hard enough. I can't even believe this," Clary huffed. "I'm leaving for a few days. I need to think." Then she turned to Jace, her face softening. "I'll be down in a few minutes, I just need to pack a bag." Jace nodded, unable to speak. _How the hell had he ended up in the center of this family drama?_

As soon as Clary disappeared, Jocelyn turned to Jace. "She likes you," the woman huffed out, still wiping at her eyes. "Please take care of her." Jace once again nodded awkwardly, shifting in his seat. The thought of Clary caring for him at all made him warm inside.

Thankfully, Clary came bursting down the stairs dragging a small suitcase behind her before the silence in the living room got too deafening. Jace stumbled to his feet and followed as Clary exited the house without another word to her mother. "Clary," Jocelyn shouted. Clary turned but didn't say anything. "Look for Sebastian Verlac." Clary nodded before turning her back to her mother again and walking away.

They were in Jace's car and driving away before another word was uttered. "Shit," Clary finally whispered.

"What's wrong?"

"Simon's out of town… I mean, my best friend is in Florida this week. I just assumed I'd stay with him. Crap, now I'm going to have to get a hotel."

"You can stay with me," Jace offered. Clary gave him a startled expression, so he continued. "I mean, I have an empty guest room. You can stay there."

"Normally, I would never take you up on that, but I'm desperate so okay."

When they got to Jace's apartment, he wasn't surprised to find Izzy on his sofa, wearing sweatpants and eating his food. That was usual for a Friday night. Izzy, however, nearly choked on her pretzels when she saw Clary trailing behind Jace, her eyes red and her makeup smeared.

"Hi Clary," she greeted. Clary looked up, surprised to see Izzy looking so at home at Jace's house.

"Oh, crap, I'm intruding. Shit, okay, sorry, I didn't realize Jace had a date. I'll just-" Izzy started laughing hysterically.

"Oh my God, Clary, _no_. Jace is my cousin! And do you seriously think _I_ would ever wear sweatpants on a date? It's family night!"

Jace huffed out a laugh from beside her and Clary released a relieved sigh. Before she could say anything, though, a kid, maybe six or seven years old, came barreling down the hall and into Jace. "Jace! You're home! Thank _goodness_ … Iz said if you didn't come home soon, she was gonna cook for me. I was _so scared_." The little boy spoke with such emotion that Clary couldn't help but laugh. Jace's eyes met hers as he smiled widely. A huffed " _hey_ " came from Izzy, but Jace and Clary were too interested in each other to even notice. Finally, the kid pulled on Jace's shirt to get his attention and the two snapped out of whatever haze they were in.

Jace kneeled down to look the little boy in the eyes. "Will, say hi to my friend Clary okay… she's gonna stay with us for a couple of days." He helped turn Will around and Will smiled shyly at Clary, leaning into Jace.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Hi, Will. It's nice to meet you," she said with a warm smile.

"Will, why don't you go set up the video games in your room? Alec and Max are gonna be here soon, hopefully with food so we don't have to rely on Izzy for sustenance." Will giggled and ran off, presumably to his room.

"Will's my little brother. He's seven," Jace told Clary after the boy was gone. "Our parents died three years ago, it's been just me and Will ever since."

"I-I don't know what to say," Clary said. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. We have Izzy and Alec and their parents and the rest of my extended family. We make due. Anyhow, let me show you to the guest room." With that, he took Clary's bag and walked down the hall. The last door on the right was a white guest room, with only a queen sized bed and a small dresser and TV. It was bare, but more than adequate for her. Jace left her there to make herself at home. She placed her belongings in the corner and put her toiletries bag in the attached bathroom before returning to the living room.

Alec and another little boy were there, talking to Jace and Izzy. "Hi," Clary whispered.

"Clary's here?" Alec said, looking to Jace rather than the girl in question, his eyebrows arched and the judgment clear on his face.

"Just for a few days, it's a long story. Where's Mags?" Jace mumbled. Alec rolled his eyes and gave Izzy a look before introducing Clary to the other boy, who turned out to be Izzy and Alec's brother, Max.

"Mags had to work tonight unfortunately," Alec said, plopping down on the sofa next to his sister and pointedly ignoring Clary's presence.

Luckily, the drama was forgotten as _Iron Man_ played on the TV and the family, plus Clary, gathered on the large sectional to watch. _Iron Man_ turned into _Captain America_ and, before the second film was halfway over both of the boys were fast asleep. Alec said his goodbyes and carried Max across the hall for a sleepover at his apartment. Jace took Will to his room, tucking him in and turning on the hallway nightlight and then returned to join Izzy and Clary in the living room.

At the end of the movie, Izzy begged off too, saying she needed to get home as well. And then Jace and Clary were alone. To say it was tense would be an understatement. Clary found herself twisting her hair around her finger nervously as Jace stared at the rolling credits.

"I'm going to try to get some sleep," Clary announced, standing up and stretching. Jace tried not to look as her hands rose above her head, showing a strip of bare skin that was so alluring that it tested every ounce of his self-control.

"Right, me too," he said, turning off the television and lights before following Clary down the hall. He stopped in front of the guest room as she turned to him. In the dim light of Will's hallway nightlight, her green eyes shined even brighter than normal. She lingered in the hallway, merely inches from him as he stopped to say goodnight. Her curls fell in front of her eyes and without thinking, Jace reached up and pushed them out of her face, tucking them behind her ear. Her breath hitched at the action.

"Goodnight," he whispered before moving to walk away. Clary's small hand wrapped around his wrist.

"Wait." She pulled him closer, her breath ghosting over his face. Jace could feel the goosebumps rising on his skin at her proximity. "I… I…"

"Clary?" Jace asked. She didn't respond. Instead, she rose up on her tiptoes and touched her lips to his. For a few seconds, Jace stood frozen. Finally, he relaxed into the kiss, one hand wrapping around Clary's waist and the other around her neck. His tongue ran across the seam of her lips and she opened them immediately, allowing Jace to deepen the kiss.

Far too soon for Clary's liking, Jace pulled away, but leaned his forehead against hers silently. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Jace just smiled and leaned in to place another soft kiss on her lips before pulling away completely. "I'm not. Goodnight, Clary." Then he turned and made his way to his bedroom. Clary stood in the hallway for a minute before entering the guest room and quickly readying for bed.

The next morning, Jace found Sebastian Verlac. He was a district attorney in Southern California. There were no pictures of him online, but Jace found his office phone number. While Jace and Will made pancakes for the three of them, Clary stepped out onto the balcony and called the number.

"H-hi. My name is Clarissa Garr-Morgenstern. Clarissa Morgenstern. I think you may be my brother. If, well, if you are Jon, please call me back. My phone number is 555-123-9876. Please."

When she came back inside, Jace smiled at her. "How'd it go?"

"He didn't answer, but I didn't expect him to, it's a Saturday after all. But hopefully he'll call me back. I left a message. So, what's for breakfast?"

"Pancakes!" Will exclaimed, syrup already all over his face. Jace and Clary laughed and served themselves some breakfast.

The rest of the weekend passed in bliss. Clary loved Will – he was sweet and funny and such a little spitfire for a kid. He was definitely mini-Jace. And she had to admit, she was falling for Jace. Other than stolen moments of affection, they hadn't had a chance to talk about the kiss, but when he looked at her she saw something in his eyes. Something that said that he felt like she did. He told her all about his parents, the accident that killed them, and his life. Clary shared stories about her own childhood with Jon, laughing at some of their antics.

On Monday, Clary got the call she had been waiting for. It luckily came during her planning period at school, so she answered immediately. Hearing her brother's voice after all the years that had passed was surreal. She cried when he said he wanted to see her. And immediately after she hung up the phone she called Jace.

Two weeks later, Will was with Izzy and Alec's parents and Jace and Clary were on a plane to Los Angeles. Clary was practically shaking as the cab drove to their hotel, her nerves getting the best of her. Jace's hand wrapped around hers, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her skin. "You'll be fine," he attempted to comfort her. "He wants to see you."

Clary nodded. She _knew_ Jon wanted to see her, but it had been twelve years. He had a totally different life. And he hadn't sought her out. "I know that. I just… it's been a long time." She took a deep breath and turned to Jace. "Thank you for coming with me."

"I wasn't going to let you do this alone. Clary, I care about you. I, uh, this may be a bad time, but I wanted to know if, when this is all over, well…" he trailed off, running his hand through his hair. Clary smiled and leaned in to him, kissing him gently.

"Yes," she said, laughing at his relieved expression. Who would have thought Mr. cocky would be so insecure around her? "I'll go out with you… but I refuse to let Izzy dress me for it!" Having had the opportunity to get to know Izzy over the weeks, and even shop with her, Clary knew that having Izzy help her would be opening a can of worms.

Jace laughed and it was music to Clary's ears. "I can't help you with that one," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.

Clary was pacing as Jace finished getting ready on the morning that they were going to meet Jon. Jace heard her mumbling as she got more and more worried. He walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her face and hugging her close. "It's going to be fine, Clary. You just need to relax. He's your brother and he wants to see you."

Clary nodded. "You're right," she said, squeezing her arms around Jace even tighter. "Thanks."

When they entered the restaurant, Clary recognized her brother immediately. He still had the same pale blond, almost white hair, and his eyes still mirrored hers, the green as bright as ever. He had a woman with him, and he was holding her hand. Clary and Jace made their way over and as soon as he saw Clary he stood wrapping her in a hug. Clary stood frozen for a minute before embracing her brother, tears falling down her cheeks.

"I missed you so much," she gasped out, sobbing.

"I missed you too, Clare-bear," her brother said, pulling away. "This is my wife, Aline. Aline, this is my sister Clary, and…"

"Jace Herondale," Jace introduced himself. "I'm Clary's, uh, well…"

"He's my boyfriend," Clary interrupted, her tears gone as quickly as they came. Jace looked shocked for a minute before a bright smile made its way to his face. The two men shook hands as the women did the same and the four sat back at the table.

"So, uh, this is… awkward," Clary said, holding Jace's hand under the table. "I have so many questions."

"Ask away."

"Why is your name Sebastian Verlac now? And how did Mom know that would be your name?"

"I changed it after Dad was murdered by a gang associate. Didn't think it was safe to be a Morgenstern – and I wanted that awful family name to die. Verlac is Mom's mom's maiden name. She knew that Dad always admired the Verlac part of her family. And Dad always called me Sebastian, apparently it was what he wanted to name me but Mom vetoed it. So now I'm Sebastian Verlac. But obviously you can still call me Jon. Aline does. In fact, I'm thinking of changing it back to Jon – being Jon Verlac."

"Why didn't you ever call me or write me or send a freaking smoke signal? It was _twelve years_!"

Jon looked down at his lap, clearly ashamed of himself. "Before Dad died, I didn't want him to have any reason to go after you. I wanted him to forget that you existed, and that meant that I had to try to forget that you existed. The less I cared about you, the less there was a chance that he would use you as a pawn. It worked; he didn't even try to see you. And when he died, well, it had been eleven years. I didn't even know if you would remember me or if you would want to see me."

"Of course I wanted to see you Jon! You're my brother; you sacrificed yourself for me." Clary was crying again, leaning in to Jace who wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Tears were springing in Jon's eyes now; he couldn't even speak. "Clary," Aline spoke for the first time. "I've known Jon since boarding school when we were sixteen… and I can say that he _never_ forgot you. He had a picture of you, in a box under the floorboard at his dad's house. And when we moved away, he framed it. It's still in our living room. Our kids know you as Aunt Clary."

"I… I have nieces or nephews?" Clary whispered.

Aline nodded, a small smile on her lips. "A niece and a nephew, Emma and JJ, Jon Junior – they're four and three. They'll be so excited to meet you. And there's a third on the way."

"Wow."

Jon finally pulled himself together. "If you'll forgive me, Clary, I'd love to know you again, to be your big brother again. _Please_."

"I'd like that. A lot."

 _One Year Later_

Clary fidgeted with her dress, straightening the white satin belt tied around her waist. She couldn't believe the day had finally arrived. Izzy, Clary's friend Maia, and Aline helped her get into her shoes and checked her hair before giving her the okay.

The past year had been a whirlwind. Clary never moved out of Jace's house; in fact, she moved from the guest room to the master bedroom. Jon, Aline, and the kids moved back to New York to be closer to the family. Both Jon and Clary forgave Jocelyn after some long and tear fueled discussions. Jon's third baby, another girl, had been born and Jace and Clary were her godparents. Clary had become best friends with Izzy, who was now dating Clary's friend Simon. Jon and Jace were inseparable friends; Jon even came to work for Jace as his in house counsel and legal advisor. And only a few months ago, Jace proposed to Clary on the beach during a vacation to Florida. Herondale Investigations was more popular than ever and Clary was still teaching, but selling her art on the side. She'd even been featured during a recent gallery opening.

"You ready, Clare-bear?" Jon popped his head into the bedroom, carrying baby Lilly in his arms.

"Yeah, I am. How do I look?"

"Stunning, the most beautiful bride I've ever seen besides my wife. Mom and Luke are waiting in the hallway. We need to go." The duo walked out the door, followed by Izzy, Maia, and Aline, who were all wearing the sleek purple dresses that Clary had chosen. Clary's parents kissed her, tears in both of their eyes. The doors opened and suddenly Clary couldn't breathe. The kids, Emma, JJ, and Will, walked down the aisle, followed by Maia and Jace's friend Matt, Izzy and Alec, and Jon, Aline, and Lilly. Finally, Clary came through the doors, flanked by her parents. She gasped when she saw her future husband standing at the altar, smiling beautifully at her.

Jace had never seen anyone as beautiful as Clary in her wedding dress with a lacy veil over her red curls. And she was marrying him of all people. He was so lucky. As the ceremony passed in a haze and before he knew it, he was married. The ring on his finger felt like it was meant to be there as he kissed his wife for the first time.

They danced the night away at the reception. Clary would always remember dancing with her brother and laughing at the antics of the kids. But most of all, she would remember being in Jace's arms as they moved together in perfect sync. The laughter and the joy she felt that night would stay in her heart for a lifetime.

"I love you," Clary whispered to her husband as they waited for their limo.

"I love you too," he said back.

"And you two are such saps!" they heard Jon say before he enveloped them both in a hug.

 _The End._


	16. Down We Go - Part II (M)

**Title: Down We Go Part II**

 **Prompt: One of my favorites is Down We Go and honestly think you can take more of this story, not if you could make another one-shot of what happened after something like this: Clary and Jace start university where they have to pretend and nobody knows who are step siblings, make new friends (Izzy, Alec, Maia, ect.) and meet some old (Simon) and things are going well until midyear everything crumbles when they meet an ex-boyfriend of Clary's, Sebastian, who makes sure everyone knows their dark secret including their parents Jocelyn and Stephen.**

 **Rating: M**

 ** _I own nothing but the plot, as usual. This is a continuation of Chapter 3 – it is in third person, rather than first person like the first part, though. Enjoy!_**

"Oh my _God_ ," Clary hissed as Jace's tongue flattened against her throbbing clit, sending sparks through her body. "I don't… I don't need that. I just, _God,_ I need..." Jace pulled his face away from her, smiling.

"What do you need, baby? I'll give you whatever you need." His husky voice made Clary even more desperate for him.

"You. I need you in me. _Now._ " Jace slid his naked body against hers until his erect cock was cradled between Clary's thighs. He kissed her deeply, immediately opening his mouth so that their teeth were clattering together with every move. His hand moved between them to grasp his shaft, and he pumped a few times before guiding himself into Clary's waiting heat. "Holy fuck," she whimpered as he thrust until he was completely inside of her. The amazing stretch of Jace taking her, though familiar now, was still the best thing she'd ever felt.

"Clary, you always so feel so fucking good around me. Clenching around me. So hot," he whispered in Clary's ear before sucking on her neck as his thrusts sped up. Clary felt the heat spreading through her body as she began pushing her hips up to meet Jace's moves, the change in angle making her groan. They were meant to be; their bodies always worked in perfect sync. As they moved, his pelvic bone hit her clit and his bare chest worked against her hard nipples, sending sparks through her. The pressure was building.

"I love you so much, baby. You're the world to me. Perfect, so fucking perfect. You blow my mind." He always was a talker during sex, while Clary let her body do the talking for her. Jace's free hand moved to skim across her hip and slowly up her side to thumb at her left breast as he keep up the pace. Clary keened, pushing on his shoulders until he rolled over, never separating from Clary as he pulled her on top of him.

Clary started rolling her hips in perfect rhythm, he hands falling to Jace's knees to brace herself as she moved. " _More_ ," she whimpered, sighing in pleasure. There was nothing better in the world than Jace moving inside of her. And in this position, Jace's pulsing cock was rubbing against her g-spot with every thrust he made into her.

"I want to spend my whole life buried inside of you, making you cum. You're such an angel when you cum, my love. Make me want you so much." His thumb went to her heat, his nail skimming her clit. " _Cum,_ Clary. Nothing hotter than you cumming for me." The pulsing inside of Clary increased as the pressure became too much. She leaned forward a bit and exploded around Jace, screaming his name. He continued to pump into her, never stopping or even slowing down.

His thrusts became more erratic as he moved closer to the edge, holding her close to him and sucking her nipple into his mouth. Clary's hands landed in his hair, pulling on the ends and making Jace groan. They never slowed, falling into a steady tempo until Jace began to lose it, moving without abandon, faster and faster. And then, finally, he fell over the edge, with a deep groan of her name in her ear. Clary fell again with him, her orgasm hitting her suddenly as they rutted together and rode the waves of pleasure.

Jace collapsed on top of her and pulled out slowly. Then he rolled over and pulled Clary close to him. She threw her leg over his, wrapping her body around him. "We just keep getting better at that," she whispered, still catching her breath.

Jace chuckled. "Yeah, we really do." He kissed her temple and told her to get some rest; they had a busy weekend ahead. The two of them, and a few of their friends, were leaving campus and spending the weekend at their friend Izzy's beach house a few hours away. As Clary nodded off, secure in her boyfriend's arms, Jace couldn't help but reflect on how things had changed in the last year.

Clary and Jace had spent the rest of their senior year and summer hiding their relationship from everyone they knew. And then, in the fall, they escaped to California, both attending UCLA. There, they were just Jace Herondale and Clary Fray, a couple who lived together and had friends and went on dates and were _normal_. No one knew that they were related by marriage; no one knew that their parents thought they were living together simply to save their family money on rent. No one knew that they went home to the same house over Christmas break and had to pretend that they weren't in love. In California, they were simply Clary and Jace, in love and happy.

The only person that knew their history was Simon, who ended up being a close friend of the pair. Simon discovered their little secret one day over the summer when he came to visit Clary and walked in on something… less than platonic between the two. He and Clary had stayed friends after they broke up, claiming to be better as friends than lovers. Simon had freaked out at first, but about a week later he came by and said he got it. That he'd keep their secret. And when they got to UCLA, he'd done just that. And now he was happily dating Izzy. The four of them, plus Izzy's brother Alec, Jace's closest friend, and his boyfriend Magnus would be going away for the weekend to celebrate Memorial Day in style. And Jace was excited to end the school year with a beachside bang.

As he faded into sleep, Jace pulled Clary closer to him. The sound of her heart and the feel of her breathing next to him lulled him to sleep.

Waking up in the morning with Jace wrapped around her was something Clary would never get completely used to. It felt new every morning, the same jolt of adrenaline ran through her veins every time she opened her eyes to see him. He'd chosen her. He loved _her_.

"Jace," she whispered against his shoulder, where her head was resting. "Get up. Our friends are going to be here soon." Clary placed her hand on Jace's shoulder, shaking him gently. "Come on, Jace, time to wake up."

He grumbled in his sleep before blinking his eyes open. His mouth twisted into a lazy smile when he saw her there. "Good morning," he said, his voice husky with sleep.

"Morning." Jace's arm pulled Clary closer and his lips met hers in a soft, lazy kiss. As usual, the kiss that started out soft and sweet was quickly infused with passion, before Clary pulled away.

"Not this morning, Jace. Our friends are going to be here in less than an hour." Clary pulled away and Jace groaned loudly before getting up to get dressed.

An hour later, the group was packed into a rented van and on their way down the coast of California. And a couple of hours after that, they arrived at the Lightwood family's beach house. Eagerly, Clary escaped the van, stretching before running towards the house with Izzy, leaving Simon and Jace grumbling about having to carry all of their bags.

"I hope you don't mind," Izzy said to Clary as they entered the house ahead of the others. "But a longtime friend of the family is in town for business, and I told him he could stay at the house. He won't get in the way of our fun, I promise. He should be here in a few minutes. He just texted me."

"No problem, the more the merrier," she assured her friend, looking around the house. It was amazing, mostly because from every room on the first floor there was a view of the ocean or beach. Once Jace and the others arrived with the bags, they all split up to unpack and change into swimsuits. Clary and Jace's room was at the end of a long hall on the second floor. There was a balcony that overlooked the Pacific Ocean, which is where Jace found Clary a few minutes after she disappeared while he unpacked.

"Everyday I can't believe this is my life," she whispered as Jace wrapped his arms around her waist. "You, this, it's crazy." Jace rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I know." They stood silently for a few minutes before there was frantic knocking at their bedroom door. When Clary opened it a minute later, Simon rushed in, wearing only his swimsuit and looking panicked.

"What's wrong?" Jace asked.

"Sebastian Verlac."

"What?" Clary asked.

"Sebastian Verlac. As in your _other_ ex-boyfriend, Sebastian Verlac. He's here."

"What? Why?"

"Apparently he is Izzy and Alec's old family friend," Simon explained. "And I don't have to tell you what this means… Clary, he was your date to your mom's wedding. And his parents are friends of yours. He knows the truth. _About everything_."

Jace sat on the bed, pale as a ghost. Clary just stood there, frozen. So Simon continued. "I, uh, I gotta get back out there. But you're going to have to come clean, at least to our friends." As he went to leave, Jace stood and stopped him.

"Thanks, man. For giving us the heads up." Simon looked momentarily surprised before nodding and hastily exiting the room. Clary still hadn't moved.

"Clary, we have to go out there. We have to face it. And we have to convince Sebastian _not_ to tell our parents. Can you do that?" Jace asked Clary, rubbing his hands up and down her arms to comfort her. "Come on babe, we don't have a choice. It will be okay, I promise."

"Sebastian hates me, Jace. He's not going to be willing to keep any secret for me. I broke his heart, remember?" High school was a long time ago, but she still remembered the pained look on Sebastian's face when he told her he loved her and she just… didn't. It hadn't been pretty. Clary looked terrified, her eyes wide. "Oh god, it's over isn't it? Everything we have is over now."

" _No_ ," Jace assured her, pulling her into a hug. "But we have to face this." Clary nodded against him and Jace kissed her head before taking her hand and leading her from the room. He dropped it as they made their way to the living room, where they heard voices and the radio blasting.

"There she is!" Izzy exclaimed, running over to Clary. The dark haired man who was talking quietly to Alec turned and his eyes widened.

" _Clary?_ " he asked, surprised. He quickly made his way over to Clary. "And… Jace? Izzy only mentioned one other couple."

Izzy giggled. "Yeah, Clary and Jace, who, if they were acting at all like they normally do, were probably going at it like rabbits, are the third couple. Wait, you guys know each other?"

As Izzy spoke, Jace and Clary watched as realization dawned on Sebastian's face. His previously relaxed, yet unfriendly, demeanor transformed to be downright hostile.

" _You two are fucking?!_ " he erupted. "Oh my god, this is so sick."

"I don't understand, what's going on?" Alec interrupted.

"They're siblings! The twisted fuckers are siblings!" Sebastian yelled. The room fell silent as they waited for Clary or Jace to deny the accusation.

"Step-siblings, Sebastian. We didn't grow up together and we don't share blood. It's not illegal or wrong," Clary said. She couldn't miss the quick intake of breath Izzy took or the way Alec's eyes widened in shock. Magnus didn't look bothered at all. _Well at least that's one that won't hate us_ , Clary thought.

"That can't be true…" Izzy whispered.

"It is. I'm so sorry."

"But, you're not _actually related_ , right? I mean, your parents married when you were teenagers?" Alec asked.

Surprised by the lack of anger in his best friend's voice, Jace responded. "No, we are not actually related. Our parents got married five years ago – we didn't grow up together. Our parents don't know. That's why we had to hide it." Alec nodded, seemingly appeased. The others were all quiet, but didn't look angry or disgusted. Then there was Simon, who was anxiously looking between Clary and Sebastian as though the world was going to explode any minute.

"So, are we okay?" Clary asked her best friend, who looked a bit less shell-shocked than she had a minute before.

"Yeah, I mean, it's weird, but you two are totally great together. It's… I'm just not going to think about it. You're still just Jace and Clary." The two girls hugged, tears springing to Clary's eyes at the acceptance she felt from her friends. Maybe she and Jace would be okay.

Sebastian, who had been all but forgotten, made his presence known. "It sure as hell is _not_ okay, Clary! It's fucking incest! And your parents don't know that you sick mother fuckers are together?"

"Seb, you can't tell them, please," Clary begged, her arms still around Izzy.

"The fuck I don't." Pulling his suitcase behind him, Sebastian exited the house. Clary rushed after him.

"Please, Seb, if you ever cared about me at all, don't do this," she asked, wiping tears from her eyes as he stood against his car and pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

"You screwed me Clary, and you know I'm an unforgiving bastard. But don't worry, after this call, you can consider us even." He smiled sadistically as he dialed and brought the phone to his ear. Jace rushed out of the house, but before he could reach Sebastian, the other man was inside of his car and driving away, talking on his cell phone. Clary collapsed into Jace's arms, consciousness fading from her body.

She came to on the living room sofa. Jace was sitting with her head on his lap, an ice pack against her head. Their friends were all nearby, watching her. On the coffee table in front of them, both Jace and Clary's cell phones were buzzing. "What… what happened?" she asked the crowd surrounding her.

"Well, I assume Sebastian called our parents. They haven't stopped calling. And you passed out," Jace said calmly.

"Shit."

"Yeah, we're going to head home, Clary. This weekend has been a total bust. And clearly, you and Jace have things to deal with," Izzy said from her place on the arm of the sofa. "We'll do this another time, okay?"

"You guys are still going to be our friends?" Clary asked, wincing at the pain in her words.

"Of course, Clary. You and Jace are totally in love. It shouldn't matter that your parents happened to be married. It's not like you're related at all. And you've been good friends to us, both of you. That isn't going to change. Even though Simon and I are going to be having a little talk about hiding things from your girlfriend," Izzy said with a glare towards Simon, who paled slightly.

Clary and Jace arrived back at their apartment without so much as a peep. Clary immediately went to take a shower, while Jace just sat on the sofa, frozen, his eyes never leaving the vibrating phones he'd put on the coffee table. Clary ignored him for the rest of the night, locking herself in the spare bedroom and not responding when he knocked or begged for her to open up. He heard her crying through the wood and it physically pained him to not be able to comfort her. Jace finally crawled into bed around 3 am, terrified that he'd lost the best thing to ever happen to him.

He awoke at 8 am the next morning to a pounding on the front door of the apartment. "Clary," he murmured. "Can you answer the door?" When there was no response, his arm reached out to Clary's side of the bed, before he remembered that it would be empty and cold. So he got out of bed and made his way to the living room. Clary was standing there, a few feet from the door, looking at it with horror.

"Jonathan Christopher Herondale!" Jace heard his father scream through the door. "Your car is here, so you have three more seconds to open up this door before I break it down!"

"Fuck," Jace whispered under his breath as he moved closer to the door. Looking back at Clary, he saw her nod and move to the couch as he opened the door. Before he could say a word, Stephan and Jocelyn were pushing their way into the apartment. It was like a tornado approaching. Jace quickly made his way to the couch and sat next to Clary, bracing for impact. Both of their parents had red faces and looked like they hadn't slept.

"Clary," Jocelyn sighed, immediately making her way over to her daughter. "What were you thinking?" With that, Clary immediately broke down into sobs. As much as Jace wanted to comfort her, he didn't think that would be smart considering the death glare he was getting from his father, so he fisted his hands together and put them in the front pocket of his sweatshirt to resist the urge to reach out to his girlfriend.

"Who the fuck cares what they were thinking, Jocelyn? How _dare_ you!" Stephan raged, raising his hand in preparation to slap his only son, who looked uncharacteristically terrified. Jocelyn immediately stood up and grabbed his hand, stopping him before he could touch his son.

" _Stephen_ , that's your son! Don't you see how upset he is? Don't take your anger at _our situation_ out on him. Sit down in that chair," she said, pointing to the dining room table, "and shut up. Let me handle this." Stephen obeyed. Clary had never heard her mother speak to Stephen with such venom before; it shocked her so much that the tears started to slow down. When she peeked over at Jace, he was staring at his stepmother, his mouth hanging open.

Jocelyn took a deep breath. "How long has this," she asked, her finger waving between Clary and Jace, "been going on?"

Clary bit her lip, wiping furiously at her eyes. So Jace took the opportunity to answer, nearly choking when he whispered, "Nearly a year." Stephen's fist slammed into the table but Jocelyn just looked concerned.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked her daughter.

"Y-you ne-nev-never w-would ha-have al-all-allowed it. I l-lo-love him, M-mom."

"I wouldn't have been happy, no, but we could have talked about it. We always talk about everything."

"Til you married Stephen. Then you were always gone."

Another sigh slipped through Jocelyn's lips and Jace could see the guilt and anguish in her eyes. "Well, that won't be the case anymore. Stephen and I got divorced, Clary. In January."

"What?" Jace finally spoke, shocked.

"Your _father_ cheated on me with his whore of a secretary, so I left him. In fact, we haven't spoken since it was finalized, until he got Sebastian's call yesterday and called me. We decided to handle this together. I didn't know he would be an ass." Stephen scoffed, but said nothing.

"Oh Mom," Clary sobbed, standing to wrap her mother in a hug. Jace looked to his father, who was staring out the window without so much of a thought for his son.

"Why didn't you bother to tell us?" Jace asked.

"Stephen thought it would be best to wait until the school year was over. We knew you two were… close… and we didn't want to hurt you. Little did we know…" she trailed off. The entire room immediately realized what this meant – Jace and Clary were no longer siblings in any sense of the word.

But why was Stephen so angry then?

Jace stood and went over to his father. "Dad?" he asked quietly. The older man just ignored him, so he tried again. "Dad?"

"Jonathan, I have never been so ashamed of you. How could you think it was _acceptable_ to _sleep with your sister_? What kind of pervert are you?" At this, Jace went silent. Until Clary separated from her mother's hug and stood next to him, lacing her fingers through his.

"He's not a pervert. _He's_ not the one who cheated on his wife, that would be you. All he did was fall in love. All _we_ did was fall in love. I won't let you make him feel like a monster. His whole life, you've barely been around. Until you married mom, freaking nannies raised him. That's not okay. I don't have to pretend to like you anymore, Stephen, so I suggest you get out of my apartment."

Stephen stood, his face turning red with anger. "This is _my_ apartment, Clary. You forget who pays the rent here." At that, Clary's bravery faded and she blanched, squeezing Jace's hand tighter.

"And you forget that I have just as much money as you, Stephen," Jocelyn said from behind the young couple. "And I will make sure they're okay." She placed one comforting hand on Clary's shoulder and the other on Jace's.

Stephen stomped his way to the door. "Hey Dad," Jace called. Stephen turned toward his son one last time. "Remember, all the Herondale trust funds are in my name. So good luck holding money over my head, you bastard." With that, Stephen left, slamming the door behind him.

Jace immediately dragged Clary to the couch and sat down, a dazed look in his eyes. Jocelyn stood there awkwardly for a while, before stating that she was going to meet her friend Luke for dinner, if they wanted to join them. Luke had been her mom's first boyfriend and apparently they had reconnected after Jocelyn's latest divorce. From the way Jocelyn always lit up when talking about Luke, Clary knew there were some sort of feelings there. One look to Jace, though, and Clary begged off, agreeing to meet Jocelyn and Luke for breakfast before their flight back to New York. As soon as her mother left, she snuggled close to Jace.

"Are you okay?" she asked, wrapping his arm around her and kissing his palm.

"I… I don't know. He's my dad. He's a jackass, and always has been, but he's my dad."

"He'll come around, babe. I promise. And you have me... we don't have to lie or pretend or hide anymore." Jace finally looked away from the spot on the carpet that he had been staring at, his golden eyes meeting her jade ones. A smile emerged on lips, exposing the chipped tooth that Clary found so endearing.

"Yeah, you're right," he said, pulling her until she was on his lap, her legs straddling either side of his hips. His warm lips began placing hot kisses on her neck as she wrapped her arms around him, her hands sliding through his shiny hair.

"I, _oh God_ , I love you," she moaned as he begin to rotate his hips into hers.

"I love you too," he said through open mouth kisses. And then he stood, never letting her fall, and carried her to the bedroom, which they didn't leave until the next morning.

{Jace and his father maintained a distant, but amicable, relationship after he married Amatis, Luke's sister. He and Amatis even made it to Luke and Jocelyn's wedding.}

{Clary and Jace got engaged not long after that, when Jace was accepted into law school back in New York. Clary went to work for her mom's gallery and eventually opened her own.}

{Isabella Marie Herondale was born a year after their wedding. Her brother, Steven Alexander Herondale came two years after that.}

{They lived happily ever after.}


End file.
